Deals with Daryl
by xPaperheartso
Summary: Daryl is a lot of things, but one thing he isn't is a deal breaker. What harm could a few deals do during a zombie apocalypse? Rated T for Daryl's colorful language.
1. Chapter 1

**Ok so this is my very first TWD fic so please let me know how I did. **

**This fic takes place before Rick arrives with Glenn and the others at the camp at the quarry in season 1. Yes, the women decided to do laundry even though they end up doing it AGAIN later on but it's my fic so yeah...No real pairings, other than Rick and Lori later on. Cute Daryl/Sophia moments and hopefully lots of laughs. Two-shot.**

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><p>The hunter skillfully stalked through the trees and underbrush, it's footfalls near silent even with pine needles and twigs scattered about. Trained eyes flitted back and forth ever so slightly – the blue irises focused solely on their prey. Sweat – hot and sticky – clinging to the hunter like dew as the dry Atlanta heat surged on. Breath shallow and slow, fingers deftly fingering the metal of a trigger…<p>

_SNAP!_

Ears flicked upward and nostrils flared, the young buck dared only a frightened glance towards the noise before bounding away. The hunter cursed and locked his cocked weapon onto the sorry _thing _that had just cost him a week's worth of tracking and possible meat that would last them a few days. Blind anger morphed the image into a decomposing, rotten, once-living thing – that is until he blinked and the image was replaced by a stick of a girl with stringy red hair and wide, deer-like eyes.

"Jesus Christ kid!" He huffed while lowering his crossbow in irritation. "Ya tryin' to get yourself killed or what?"

The girl shook her head quickly and fumbled with her hands nervously. "I-I'm real sorry Mister Dixon….but…well I just-just-."

"Spit it out for Christ's sake!"

"I wanted to watch!" She blurted out before lowering her eyes shyly and waiting for the tongue-lashing she well deserved. However, all she got was a deep, throaty sigh and a very sweaty Daryl running a hand through his hair in confusion, annoyance, and something else.

"Look 'ere kid. This ain't no summer camp. Ya can't just come walkin' out here wit'out telling your mama." Daryl tried to sound more like a _reasonable _adult, but when had Daryl Dixon ever been reasonable?

Sophia looked more pitiful than before but she tried to hide it and just nodded her head in defeat. Giving him a weak smile, she apologized as best a 12-year-old girl could do before hiking it back to camp with those bean pole legs. In retrospect, she _knew _she shouldn't have snuck out of camp to follow the man known as Daryl. She _knew _that he was hunting that same deer he'd mentioned each night while skinning those squirrels he'd catch – almost as if apologizing in his own way for having not caught something more appetizing. Despite all that her 12-year-old mind had processed, something had pushed her to follow him and watch him work.

Meanwhile, Daryl was stalking back to camp with a fat hare and some squirrels he'd shot down before heading back. The hare would be a nice change from squirrel meat, at least for the others. As for him, he didn't mind it so much, though he couldn't help thinking of how good some fresh cooked venison would have tasted after a week of sweat and listening to Shane try to keep the group in working order.

"Hnf. Order my ass." The blue-eyed man snorted as he came upon the bustling camp. "World's gone to shit and he thinks he can jus' order us around like a damn circus."

He strode towards Lori who – in Daryl's honest opinion – seemed a bit flighty and giggly for a grown woman with a son while the world's gone to hell, and dumped the twine with his catch onto the small table before mentioning that he'd take care of skinning and cleaning them tonight. She gave him a nod and an appreciative smile before returning to her previous engagement – folding her son's shirts while catching the ever-wandering gaze of their so-called leader Shane.

The blonde headed towards a stump next to his and his older brother's tent, but was caught off guard by the appearance of Ed. The sight of the man caused Daryl's lip to curl up in a slight snarl, which was not lost on the burly man. The smoke from the cigarette stung Daryl's eyes but he was too busy glaring at the man in annoyance.

"You gonna move? Or are you too dumb and wild to understand?" Ed wheezed.

Daryl took a step closer to Ed, which seemed to light a fire in the man's eyes.

"I will after you let yer wife out of that dammed tent." He didn't ever call Ed by his name. The sick wife beater didn't deserve even that.

"She's my wife and she'll do as I say. She ain't comin' out today and if you've got a problem then you better say it Dixon." Ed growled before taking another step forward.

The two men stared each other down before Daryl grunted and headed towards his tent, tuning out Ed's choked laughter.

"Yeah you keep on walkin' you white piece of trash. Ain't no one 'fraid of you."

Shane later yelled for Ed to shut the hell up and do something useful – which resulted in Ed being a half-ass lifeguard over the quarry while no one was even down there.

Satisfied that Shane had at least done something right, Daryl set to work cleaning his arrows with the red rag he kept tucked in his back pocket at all times. The job never lasted long, no matter how thorough he was, and in the end he would place them into his quiver and become utterly bored and edgy. Normally, his older brother Merle would be nearby smoking a joint and getting higher than the empire state building – usually resulting in Daryl receiving a few hits or the women getting weird looks – before he'd call it a night and pass out in the tent. However, Merle had uncharacteristically volunteered to go with Morales and that Chinaman and some others into the city for supplies.

"Rock-paper-scissors-shoot!"

He cocked his head towards the sound and whether it was due to boredom or the heat of the day he'll never know, walked over behind the log pile to see Sophia and Lori's boy – Carl – giggling away.

"My rock smashed your scissors! I win again!"

"Aw Sophia c'mon! You've gotta be cheatin'!"

Daryl tried to walk away but his shadow betrayed him and he was suddenly stuck under the gaze of the two.

"Hiya Daryl!" Carl greeted cheerfully.

Sophia ducked her head a bit and greeted him with less enthusiasm. "Hi….Mister Dixon…"

A bit taken aback by the boy's friendliness and the girl's shyness, Daryl didn't realize he'd said something until it was too late.

"Um, hey. You two playin' a game?" Carl nodded eagerly. "Yep! Rock, paper, scissors. You ever play before?"

The redneck was brought back to when he was younger and he'd proposed Merle play it with him. Unfortunately, Merle's version of the game was more in the literal sense…

"…Not much." He wanted to get away but the boy seemed so damn happy and curious…

"Well c'mon! Let's see if you can beat Sophia, she's really good at it." He stood to make room for the larger man. "In fact, she's _the master!"_

'_Oh Christ.' _He thought as he squinted at the kids. "Naw, I don't think I'll be much good at it." He scratched his neck. "'Sides, I don't got time for playin' around. Got things to get done…"

Despite his rejection of the offer, Carl was tugging away at his hands, urging him to just sit down and try. He coaxed Sophia into helping him drag Daryl down, which really ended with the two landing roughly on his chest and stomach while he landed on his back just behind the logs. The children burst into a fit of giggles that rattled the poor man's ribcage until he felt as if there were an earthquake trapped inside him. After shoving the two off him and catching his breath, Daryl finally noticed the smug looks Carl and Sophia were giving him.

"Now you'll have to play, right Carl?" The boy nodded in agreement.

"An' what if I say no? You gonna poke me ta death?"

The duo grinned as Carl produced a large sheath holding a particularly sharp Busse knife that happened to belong to a very short-tempered redneck.

"Hey! Gimme that!" He snatched for it, but was stopped by Sophia wrenching it from Carl's hands and leaping away. "I ain't playin' around you brats! That knife in't for kids like you."

Sophia shook her head, "Nope. Not until you beat me at a game of rock, paper, scissors. Deal?"

Carl nodded and gave Daryl a challenging, yet amused glare. The man grunted and tried to persuade and threaten the knife out of her hand, but to no avail.

Finally he threw his hands up in the hot air and gave in. "Fine. Ya got a deal." He held out his hand to Sophia, who stared at the large hand before looking at hers and spitting into it before mashing it with his eagerly.

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><p>"Shit Sophia! You got me again!"<p>

The girl giggled before giving the man a sly smirk. "I guess you won't be getting' your knife back anytime soon."

A determined scowl set into Daryl's face as he readied his fist for about the umpteenth time. "We'll see about that Lima-Bean."

Carl smiled to himself as he caught Daryl's swear on the wind, wishing he was over there instead of getting his hair cut by his momma.

"Paper covers Rock, I win."

Daryl shook his head and gave the girl a look that said, 'you gotta be shittin' me.'

"At this rate, I don't think you'll ever get your knife back." She started. "So I think we should make a different deal instead."

He huffed, "S'cuse me? I think you had best think again." Sophia shook her head.

"Nuh-uh. This one you'll win for sure! I promise."

The younger Dixon brother eyed her sweet smile warily, but sighed and extended his hand again. However, right before she shook it, he pulled his back and spit into his palm before gripping hers in a tight handshake. At least they were even on some level now.

"Alright, so what do I gotta do this time? Beat ya in a starin' contest? Cuz I'll definitely beat you for sure."

Sophia laughed. "Nope. All you have to do is sit right there and don't move."

'_That's it? Sounds too easy comin' from this lil' brat…' _He wondered before accepting the challenge, the idea that his beloved knife would soon be back where it belonged was too tempting.

At first, she was careful with her work, but it didn't take long for him to notice the slight tug on his dirty, sweaty blonde hair. He swung his head around, only to regret it as tiny prickles of pain tugged at his scalp.

"Hey! Don't move! You're gonna mess it up!"

"The hell are you talkin' about brat?" She smacked his hand away as he tried to finger the area where the tugging came from.

"Just sit still ok? This won't take long." Her hands began tugging gently at his hair and despite his urge to wrench himself free, the man just rolled his eyes and sat in the dirt under the blaring sun while the young girl did God-knows-what to him.

It had only been five minutes until Daryl fell into a light sleep under the heat of the day and the strangely relaxing feel of his hair being pulled carefully this way and that. Sophia didn't even notice until a soft snort came from his parted lips, resulting in a fit of silent giggles before she went back to work. Carl had tried to come back over, but Shane got to talking about catching frogs and the boy was mesmerized. No one else noticed the missing redneck or girl, or the sounds of a sleeping Dixon behind the woodpile. Her small fingers worked as quickly as they could as she deftly moved them throughout each sweaty golden strand of ragged hair on Daryl's head, a low hum rumbling in her throat while she worked.

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><p>Something patted his face and shook him – the clouds of sleep slowly ebbing away and giving way to the bright Georgia sun. The man blinked a few times before meeting the smiling face of Sophia, who was clasping her hands together as she admired her work.<p>

"Well now that you're awake Mister Dixon, I guess you'll want your knife back now."

"First off, the name's Daryl. I ain't old enough to bein' called a mister." He held up two fingers. "Second, you bet your string-bean little self I want my knife back." He held out his hand expectantly, "Been puttin' up with yall's shit all day."

The girl nodded at the first condition, but didn't release her hold on the sheath. "The deal's not done yet, _Daryl. _You gotta take me to my momma's tent first." She waved the knife sneakily. "Then you'll get your knife back."

Daryl closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose to try and calm himself. _'Remember the Zen man, just listen to the little urchin and everything will be fine.'_

"Ugh, alright fine. But this is the _last _deal I make with you String-Bean. You got that?"

She nodded and mock saluted him. "Cross my heart and hope to eat a frog." Daryl gave her a strange look before getting to his knees and brushing the dirt off his pants before standing all the way. Sophia smiled and slipped her hand into his dirty rough one, before shoving the knife in the back of her pants and leading him through the camp. It felt as if she was parading him around, which made him suspicious – combined with the weird looks everyone was giving him – of just what was really going on.

"Uh…Sophia? Why the hell are they lookin' at me funny? I got somethin' on my face?"

She shook her head and pointed to the window of the RV with an innocent smile. "Take a look and see, Daryl_."_

The way she said it made him wary, so he marched up to the window with Sophia in tow and jerked backwards so suddenly he almost landed on top of the poor girl.

'_I swear to Christ I ain't ever makin' another deal with this kid again!'_

He stared at his reflection in shock and mild irritation, the man finally realizing the reason everyone had been staring at him. Sophia had taken his once shaggy mop of hair and _braided _small, thin braids into most of it, the ends tied with brightly colored bands. A few loose strands hung on the side of his face from the sweat of the day, but the braids all branched out in every direction, making him look more ridiculous than he could ever imagine was possible.

"You like it? It took me 'bout an hour but I think they look nice."

For once, Daryl Dixon was speechless.

"C'mon, you still gotta take me to my tent." Then she pulled him down so she could whisper, "I promise I'll take 'em out when we get there."

The normally ill-tempered redneck just let himself be lead all around camp, ensuring that _everyone _in camp – minus Merle and the others – saw him and his new hair do.

'_Merle'd beat my ass and call me a soft bitch for lettin' this happen.' _And for once, Daryl was glad his brother wasn't in camp.

Finally the two reached the large blue tent that housed Sophia and her momma, Carol, and her deadbeat husband. Sophia looked up at him and smiled before pulling out his knife and handing it to him politely.

"Here ya go Mis – I mean, Daryl. I'm sorry for what we did." She seemed a bit sad.

Despite everything that she and the Grimes boy had put him through, Daryl couldn't find it within himself to get mad at them, especially Sophia. He got down on one knee and took the knife with an actual smirk and ruffled her hair playfully.

"Don't be sorry String-Bean. You beat me fair n' square. A man's gotta honor his deals ya know."

Her face lit up and the smile - that reached deeper inside Daryl Dixon then anything else had in a long time - made him chuckle.

"So….you like them?" He snorted. "Like 'em?" He shook his head and tapped her under the chin. "I think they make me look mighty pretty don' you?"

She nodded and flicked a few of the braids before she began to pull out the bands in them. Daryl caught her wrist and pulled it away with a smirk.

"Tell ya what brat, how 'bout I teach you how to use a smaller knife of mine in exchange for some of these…hair does tomorrow." He stuck out his hand. "Deal?"

Little Sophia grinned and shook his hand eagerly before heading inside her tent with a skip in her step. He shook his head and chuckled before heading back towards the table near the fire to skin the squirrels and hare from earlier, when something small latched onto his waist. He looked down and shushed her before she could thank him and instead put a hand on her small shoulder and whispered something into her ear that made her smile and laugh, before ruffling her already messy hair and telling her in the gentlest tone anyone had ever heard out of Daryl to 'get'.

As he neared the table and pulled out his Busse knife to start skinning, he felt everyone's eyes on him. With a sneer he lifted up his head and gave them all a challenging glare.

"What th' hell you all starin' at?"

No one answered and he snorted before going back to his work, Sophia's braids keeping the sweat from dripping into his eyes. When he still felt them all watching, he barked roughly for them to get their heads out of their asses and to leave him alone, to which they all obliged.

Besides, since when had Daryl Dixon ever been reasonable?

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><p><strong> So how'd I do? Did you love it? Hate it? Please leave a review to give me any advice or tips or point out any errors I may have made. Thanks!<strong>

** Oh and seriously, who thinks Daryl is the best character in the show? And the hottest? Am I right? :D**


	2. Chapter 2

**First of all, thanks for all the supprt to all those who reviewed! :D It means a lot to me!**

** I do not own Daryl (Oh God wouldn't that be amazing?) or Sophia or any other TWD characters. I own only the plot. C:**

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><p>"Ok, now first ya gotta learn how to properly hold your knife." A rough, calloused hand directed a pair of smaller, gentler hands around the hilt of a six-inch SRK blade.<p>

"Once you get used to the feel of it, then I'll show ya how to use it."

Sophia's eyes gleamed with both amazement and a bit of fear as she held the blade as instructed. "Wow, this is so cool." She whispered as she got adjusted.

Daryl smirked a bit, "Yep. Nothin' like holdin' your first blade." He fingered his own favorably. "I still remember when my old man gave this to me. Probably one of the best things he ever done for me, 'sides teachin' me to hunt and track."

The 12-year old spent over 20 minutes getting used to holding the weapon and also the very idea of herself ever having one, let alone using one.

"Alright, now that you got that down, I'm gonna show you the best ways t' use yer knife."

Sophia nodded and watched closely as he pulled out his much bigger and deadlier knife and began to slowly go through the motions of stabbing forwards. After explaining the basics and also the safety rules, he carefully guided her wrist through the motions as she gripped her own weapon tightly.

"I-I think I got it now." She said as she began to thrust the knife forwards like he'd shown her. The blue-eyed man watched approvingly as she mimicked his movements to near perfection. After she had repeated the moves a few more times, she stopped to catch her breath and was surprised to feel a hand on her shoulder.

"Damn, I gotta hand it to ya Lima-Bean, you sure got a knack for this stuff." He squinted down at her and smirked. "Yer doin' better than I did when I was your age too."

Sophia smiled at the praise – something she only ever got from her mother – and looked up to meet Daryl's gaze. She couldn't believe it when he'd shown up after breakfast with the smaller knife in hand and a look that told her to hurry the hell up. This time she'd taken two side strands and braided them so that they hung near the sides of his face, while she pulled what she could back into a rat's tail. Everyone had stared while she'd done it, and every now and then Daryl would growl or shoo someone's wandering eye away with just a glare.

"So, what next Sergeant Dixon?"

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><p>They spent almost a full two hours outside of camp and by the time they had returned most of the women had headed down to the quarry to do the laundry. Merle and the others still weren't back yet, which worried the fidgety redneck slightly. Shane was discussing something with Jim while Dale stood watch atop the old RV. The heat of the day was still present as the sun began its slow descent, bringing out pesky mosquitoes and more humidity.<p>

Sophia had tried to walk into camp as seriously as Daryl had, but she was still brimming from the excitement of wielding her own knife and pretty soon she was skipping alongside the Dixon brother – their arrival slowly taking notice around camp.

"Hey Dixon," Shane called out while striding towards the duo with that slight swagger that irritated Daryl to the bone. "Where've you been? Jim and I were busy choppin' wood and Dale had to take a break from the heat. Which means no one was on guard duty for a whole _two hours!"_

Sophia unknowingly shifted closer to Daryl as Shane's tone began to take a more accusing turn. "F' your information Deputy Donut I was out busy teachin' this young'un how to defend herself. Ya know, in case a Walker came by an' she was all alone."

Shane's eyebrows furrowed. "So you mean to tell me you've been out in the woods playin' nurse maid?" Daryl's eyes narrowed dangerously. "I ain't no nurse maid and I sure as hell wasn't just dickin' around in the woods with the girl for fun."

A few tense moments passed between the two as they exchanged heated glares before Shane finally shook his head and stormed off over to where Jim was resting against the RV in the shade. Sophia said not a word, but slowly – cautiously - slipped her hand into Daryl's and looked up at him worriedly.

"Don't'chu worry your lil' head Lima-Bean, I ain't mad at ya." He squeezed her hand ever so slightly before letting go and it made her feel ten times better than before.

Daryl led Sophia to her tent and expected Carol to come bursting out in tears, whimpering about not knowing where her precious little girl had gone. Unfortunately for the both of them it was Sophia's bastard of a father. He took a long drag of his cigarette before puffing out the smoke right in Daryl's face, a satisfied grunt passing from his cracked lips.

"So Dixon, you got a thing for my lil' girl now?" His eyes squinted in satisfaction as Daryl's jaw set and his fists clenched tightly.

"Tell you the truth I don't give a damn what you do around here or to the people in camp. You're just the disgusting, filthy trash that society chewed up and spit back out in the woods." To prove his point, Ed spat right onto Daryl's boot - a choked laugh following.

Sophia opened her mouth to defend her new friend, but as soon as she even twitched her father turned on her and grabbed her roughly by the shoulder with one hand and shoved her towards the tent.

"Git on in there girl and wait for daddy." She walked stiff-legged towards the tent with her head down and eyes turned to the ground. "That'a girl," Ed grunted before smacking his hand on the girl's butt, earning a surprised squeak from said child.

In one swift movement, Ed was thrown to the ground and Daryl set into his face like he'd never done before. With each punch to the sick bastard's face, Daryl growled insults and called him every name in the book.

"You sick son of a bitch!" He shouted before delivering another punch to Ed's jaw. "How dare you touch yer lil' girl like that!"

Suddenly, the burly man's head collided with the blonde's forehead, resulting in Daryl being shoved into the dirt and Ed taking over. He cursed the Dixon name and let loose a flurry of hard punches towards Daryl's face and head, busting the younger man's lip and nearly breaking his nose.

"Now you see who's better huh? You worthless piece of shit!" Ed shouted before landing a punch that was barely dodged. "Sit still so I can beat your ugly face into the dirt!"

Daryl spat blood into Ed's face, some getting in one eye, and smirked in victory before bringing his knee straight up into the larger man's crotch. Ed caved for a moment and Daryl took the chance to get back up and landed a few kicks into the smoker's side before grabbing Ed by the front of his shirt and staring him straight in the eye.

"Now you listen to me you sick fuck," he snarled as blood dribbled down his face from the gash on his forehead. "You ever lay a _finger _on Sophia again and I swear I will beat you unconscious and leave you fer Walker bait. Do you hear me?"

Ed glared at the younger Dixon with pure malice – despite having one eye completely swollen – and snagged his hand into Daryl's hair and yanked him to the dirt once more.

"And you listen to me you worthless piece of shit! She's my daughter and I can do whatever the hell I want! So why don't you and your brother take both your sorry redneck asses out of here and crawl back to the cesspool you came from!"

By now the whole camp had gathered around in a poor excuse of a circle, each giving the two bloody men space to settle their differences. Lori held poor Carl close to her, while Amy and Carol stood frozen in shock and horror at the scene unfolding before them. Dale watched from atop the RV, but made sure to check the surroundings to make sure the two men's brawl wasn't attracting any unwanted attention. Shane held his gun tightly and watched with disapproving eyes as he tried to find a way to end this before Walkers followed the fight straight to camp.

As the two went at it again, Sophia finally made it to her momma and buried her face into the woman's shirt and burst into tears. She told her about what her daddy had done and for once Carol felt pure rage towards her husband for _daring _to touch her precious daughter.

"Ed! How dare you! How dare you touch _my _little girl like that!" She shrieked as she strode bravely towards her bloody husband. Her anger and strength pooled from the rage and pain that had built up over the years and had finally bubbled over when her daughter came to her bawling her eyes out moments ago.

"You are a sick man Ed! I can't believe I ever could have loved a more selfish, lazy, son of a bitch like you!" She was so blinded by her anger that she didn't notice her husband tower over her small frame until it was too late and he had already decked her in the face, sending her crashing into the dirt and clutching her face in pain as Amy tried to help her while Lori held Sophia back with Carl.

Daryl had never felt so much rage in his entire life; not when his father beat his momma almost every night or even when some kid had called his momma a dirty, filthy whore. Oh no, this was a totally new level of anger for Daryl. Fueled by adrenaline and his rage, the blonde let out a furious battle cry before punching Ed square between the eyes – causing him to fall flat on his back – and unleashing a slew of hard punches before he was finally dragged off the bloody pulp of a man by Shane and Jim. He blinked a few times to clear the red that dominated his vision in those last few moments, his knuckles split and bloody.

Shane started to scold the redneck like a child but was cut off when Daryl shrugged him off and strode over to where Amy was trying to comfort Carol and examine her injured face. When Amy noticed his approach, she looked up fearfully but made room for him when he gestured for her to move aside. Sobs racked Carol's thinning frame and her hands covered her face, making the splits in Daryl's knuckles burn with bitterness.

He squatted beside her and slowly placed a dirty hand on her arm. "Hey…." He whispered in a gruff, yet gentle tone. She began to lower her hands, but he stopped her.

"You don't hafta show me. Jus' wanted to tell ya that you won't have to worry 'bout that prick anymore." He lowered his hand from her arm and continued. "From now on I'll be keepin' an eye on 'em, make sure he don't ever touch you or your little girl again."

He stood up and began to walk back to his tent when a meek voice called out to him. The blonde man turned halfway and was met with the battered face of Carol.

"I-I…Daryl….." She stuttered and before she could get even more upset he gave her a bloody smirk and said, "Don'tchu worry, it's a promise."

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><p>It was getting darker when Lori approached the Dixon brothers' tent with some rubbing alcohol to help with the blue-eyed man's wounds. She stood outside the tent and cleared her throat once – an alternative to knocking – and waited as said man stepped out with a confused look upon his face.<p>

"I brought some alcohol for you. Don't want you to catch an infection." Her small smile was all she could produce while looking at the dried blood and bruises covering his face.

He grunted, "S' no big deal. I'll be fine. Save that stuff for someone else." He started towards the tent but was stopped by a slender hand on his shoulder.

"Daryl please, it's the least I can do after what happened earlier…" Lori trailed off but her eyes still held that determined glint. "Ed deserved what he got and you did the right thing, don't you dare think differently."

Daryl let out a short laugh, "You don' need to worry about that. I knew the firs' day I saw him and those bruises on Carol that he deserved a good ass kickin'."

Lori tried to persuade the man into letting her clean some of the cuts and dried blood off, but he waved her off saying that she was starting to piss him off. She sighed and shook her head and stalked back to the RV and disappeared inside. Once she was gone, Daryl slipped inside his tent and grabbed a navy blue rag and doused a corner of it with some of Merle's whiskey he left behind. He hissed a few times until all the caked blood was cleaned off, leaving only a few healing cuts and some noticeable bruises. After that was all done, the crossbow-wielding redneck decided sleep was the best option and in a matter of minutes he was passed out with only a pile of clothes for a pillow.

-**Time Skip**-

Anger was the first thing Daryl felt when it was announced that his brother Merle had been handcuffed to a roof in Atlanta and left behind. He tossed the batch of squirrels he'd caught earlier at the newcomer – a cop named Rick who was Lori's supposedly dead husband – and charged him, but was bowled over by Shane. After whipping out his knife and lunging towards the cop, Shane locked him in a chokehold until he'd calmed down.

"You pussies done talkin'?" He called out angrily as he waited for Rick and the others to pile into the truck. They fixed him with glares but he didn't care one bit – they had left his brother chained to a roof so why should he be the bad guy?

A hesitant voice brought Daryl out of his thoughts and when he turned around he was surprised to see Sophia with tears in her eyes.

"Please don't go Daryl!" She begged. "What if you get overrun by Geeks? What if some bad people have Merle and you get hurt?"

The irritated blonde's simmering anger didn't disappear, but it did lower when he heard the pain in her voice.

"I ain't leavin' Merle. He's my brother an' family don't abandon one 'nother." She whimpered and whispered that he was more important than Merle.

Daryl snapped and completely forgot that he was talking to a crying 12 year old girl – who was only worried for his safety – and didn't even hear what came out of his mouth until it was too late.

"I don't owe you nothin' for you to be worryin'!" He shouted as he took a step towards her. "Why don'tchu jus' git on back to your momma and cry about yer feelings and shit, cuz I ain't your fucking nurse maid!"

Sophia burst into tears but held her ground, her cries falling on everyone's ears – all except Daryl. Lori got up from Carl and Rick's side and stormed over, her face stressed and angry.

"Daryl Dixon! What the hell is wrong with you?"

He turned his heated glare on the woman and barked, "Just mind your own goddamn business!" His head snapped back to Sophia who was reaching out to him as if to calm him down, despite her tears. Her fingers brushed his skin and instinct followed by more anger and painful memories flowed through the man's body and his arm wrenched away and was poised to strike. It was the look of pure fear on that poor girl's face and the way she flinched that snapped Daryl out of his stupor.

In that split second of realization, Daryl felt as if he could hear his old man's voice in his ears, telling him he wasn't ever good enough and that he was the worst excuse for a son. He felt all the scars that marred his fit body tingle as if he were a kid again and being whipped and lashed. Then he heard Merle's voice and felt all the scars from his brother's knife on his skin once more. It was that split second where for the first time in his life Daryl felt as if he was teetering on the edge of insanity. Then that second passed and everything hit him all at once and he heard Sophia's sobs and he heard Carol and the other women gasp and he could have sworn he heard the smack of a hand on skin – which was really just a memory of himself once more.

The fiery redneck dropped his hand as it were on fire and took three steps away from the crying girl and squinted at the ground fiercely. He didn't look up to see her open her clenched eyes and stare at him with those big eyes. He stood stock-still and waited for something to happen. Only when he heard her footsteps get farther away did he lift his head and survey the looks everyone else was giving him.

"C'mon." He muttered curtly. "Les' go already. Tired of waitin'." He glanced at Rick. "You said it yourself, we can't leave 'em."

At first no one moved, but as soon as Rick turned to kiss his wife and pat his son on the head everyone else began to come back to life. Glenn walked right by Daryl and didn't even spare him a glance as he trudged to the driver's side before slamming the door loudly. T-Dog followed and shook his head at Daryl before climbing into the back of the truck – bothering to at least hold open the door shaft for Daryl to climb in before slamming it down and locking it. Rick jumped in the passenger side and they drove off.

* * *

><p>Amy had watched along with everybody else in camp as Daryl lost his temper and almost hit Carol's daughter. She had had let out a startled gasp and if she wasn't such a coward she would've marched right over there and hit the man herself. Instead she froze and watched as he caught himself and she couldn't tell whether it was her imagination, or if she actually did see genuine shock in his gruff face as he pulled away.<p>

Now she was climbing down to the quarry towards the little girl who had all but ran away from Daryl once he'd looked down.

She sat down next to Sophia and looked out at the water. "The water looks really beautiful." She stated.

The red-haired girl glanced at the blonde before returning her gaze on the water.

"Y'know, my dad used to take me and my sister fishing all the time when we were kids." She started. "He taught us every one of his tricks, even how to fish with just a plain old stick and some fishing line."

Sophia didn't look at Amy, but her head did lift up ever so slightly as she continued to listen in silence.

Amy brushed a strand of hair behind her ear before continuing. "I remember one time, I was about 10 years old and I'd heard somewhere that bigger fish liked peanut butter n' jelly sandwiches." She giggled. "So I grabbed my dad's gear and made myself about five sandwiches before climbin' into his old motor boat. I didn't know how to use the engine, so I grabbed a paddle and pushed out towards the middle of the lake."

By now Amy wasn't even seeing the quarry, instead she saw that very day as if it were yesterday – her eyes clouded over in a reverie.

"Well, the first sandwich I botched because I decided to hook the whole thing onto the snare. Unfortunately, when I cast my line the sandwich flew right off the hook and plopped into the water." Sophia was now looking at her, her eyes shimmering and a smile on her face as she listened eagerly.

"The second one I'd put only a piece of the sandwich and that one stayed on. Turns out, some fish _do _like PB&J sandwiches, cuz I caught a smallmouth bass on the second try and then I caught a pretty good sized catfish on my fourth try."

"What happened to the third one?"

Amy smiled. "Well birds also like sandwiches, so while I was waitin' on a bite, this momma duck swooped in and snatched it right off my hook."

The two laughed as Amy continued her story until it began to get a bit dark and Carol called for her daughter. Sophia asked Amy to stay with her for a few more minutes, to which the blonde was more than happy to oblige.

"…D'you think he meant what he said?" The young girl asked quietly.

Amy was confused. "Who?" Sophia looked at her sadly. "….Daryl."

"Oh." She sighed. "Well kiddo, I really don't know. Tell you the truth, that man is more of a mystery than his brother."

Sophia tilted her head. "I think he's just worried for his brother." Amy said. "I mean, I know Merle is a racist jacka – I mean, jerk, but he's family and if it were Andrea I think I would have reacted a little bit like Daryl had." She chuckled. "Well, maybe without the southern accent and the swearing."

The girl looked up at the lowering sun and fiddled with her hands. "I shouldn't have said what I did." Amy turned to face the girl. "Why? What did you say?"

"I told him that he was more important than Merle."

The young blonde pondered this for a moment before replying. "Well, that was the truth wasn't it?" Sophia nodded her head. "Well then you weren't lying. Do you think he believed you?"

Sophia had never thought of that before. She shook her head, "I guess not, seeing how he yelled at me." Amy put an arm around the little girl's shoulders and pulled her close.

"Listen sweetheart, I think that deep down, under all that dirt and grime, Daryl is a real nice guy. I think he _wants _to believe things like that – that he _is_ more important than what he believes – but I think his brother may have…damaged him somehow to make him think he isn't important or worth anything to anyone."

Sophia's eyes shimmered and she felt better than she had in awhile. She smiled and gave Amy a big hug before eagerly grabbing the older girl's hand and tugging her up the rocks. Amy kept up, keeping her free hand in front of her in case the red-haired girl slipped and needed extra support.

"What's the rush? You that hungry?" She called out while panting a little.

"Nope! I'm not hungry at all!" Sophia answered back. "C'mon Amy! We hafta hurry! We need to make something for Daryl when he comes back!" She smiled a 100-watt smile. "Something to show him somebody does care 'bout him!"

Amy merely shook her head and smiled while being tugged along by the 12 year old.

'_Good Lord Daryl, you must be better with kids than you think.'_

* * *

><p><strong> Ok ok so I lied. This will now be a three-shot. I PROMISE!<strong>

** I really wanted to bring over some of Daryl's soft side with Sophia here, but I also wanted to show Daryl being protective and selfless by defending Sophia and Carol by fighting Ed. I also wanted to explore a bit with what would Sophia have done if she'd known Daryl a little better in the beginning. Amy wasn't my favorite-ist character, but I wanted Sophia to be helped by someone who was still a kid in one way or another.**

** Please leave a review and be sure to notify me of any errors I may have made. :D Thanks!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Ok, first off, thank you SO MUCH to all my reviewers! I love the support and it motivates me even more! :D**

**Second, sorry this chapter took awhile to get uploaded, but I had a lot of family gatherings all in a few days so I wasn't left with too much time to work on this, but it's also because this is a VERY long chapter.**

**Finally, if you haven't noticed it yet, there is a surprise at the end. C:**

* * *

><p>"Hey Dale, is it ok if Sophia and I use these?" The young blonde called out from a cabinet within the Winnebago.<p>

"Well I suppose so," he started. "What do you need 'em for?" He asked while eying the baggie full of worn, brown leather shoelaces from years past.

"Sophia wants to make some friendship bracelets and this is as close as we're gonna get to what they give you in those kits."

The old man scratched the back of his head before nodding. "Sure, why not? It's not like I'll ever use 'em." He started towards the door. "I can't even remember why I ever kept them."

Amy rolled her eyes jokingly at his rambling and followed him outside – making sure to close the RV door – before approaching the younger girl with a smile upon her face. She shook the bag happily and laughed as Sophia nearly jumped up in excitement. The duo made their way to the back end of the RV before laying out their gathered materials on the small table they'd borrowed for the task.

Sophia's hand started towards some leather strips before looking at Amy with confusion. "Wait…so how do you do these?" She asked.

Amy picked up three strips and held them in front of the girl. "First, you gotta take three strips and lay them next to each other in front of you." She watched as Sophia copied her and again looked to her for guidance.

"Next, we have to take either end of the strips and make a tight knot a little ways from the tips, leaving enough for us to tie them on." The blonde stopped to tie her own first before leaning over and assisting the younger girl with her own.

Amy began to explain the braiding process, when Sophia's face brightened in the form of an idea. "Wait! I want to make these really special." She got up and started jogging towards her tent eagerly. "I'll be right back."

The 24 year old waited patiently – slightly worried that Ed might be awake while Sophia was inside – but was relieved when the 12 year old returned with something clutched in her small fists.

"I found these a few days ago by the water," she explained as she opened her palms to reveal two glimmering, quarter-sized pebbles. One was the color of sky blue with some tints of teal inside. The second was almost purely white – save for a few speckles and streaks of blue and green.

"I want to put these on the bracelets," she continued. "D'you think we can?"

Amy smiled and patted her arm sweetly. "Of course we can, we just need one more ingredient to make sure they don't fall out, no matter how tight we braid them."

She told Sophia to wait at the table while she went back to the RV. While inside, Amy went straight for the closet where she had found what they needed earlier. Once she found it, she grinned and jogged back outside and placed the spindle of fishing line on the table before sitting down again.

"Ok, well first we need to start braiding-."

"But, if we do that, how are the pebbles gonna fit?" Sophia interrupted.

The blonde smiled. "Well in order to fit one in we have to start braiding until we get to the middle, then we'll hold the pebble in the center and braid across and around it." She picked up the fishing line, "We'll braid this in with the leather and around the stones just for extra support."

It took about 15 minutes for both bracelets to be braided halfway – mainly due to Sophia's lack of skill with braiding, especially with the fishing line – but eventually they were ready to place the colored stones within the center. Amy did hers first – Sophia staring with wide, excited eyes – as she skillfully braided and twisted the leather and fishing line around the blue pebble. After placing a piece of tape over the unfinished end, the blonde took the red-haired girl's piece and braided while Sophia held the second pebble in place.

Sophia's eyes were sparkling as she admired their near-completed work. "So now we just keep braiding?"

Amy nodded as she began to twist her strips again. "Yep. Of course we have to stop a ways from the end so that we can tie another knot and leave the rest to be tied on later."

A few minutes later, two completed friendship bracelets rested in the palms of a very happy and anxious 12 year old girl. "They're perfect!" She exclaimed before wrapping her thin arms around Amy's waist.

The older girl returned the embrace and looked at the bracelets once more. "So, which one is yours?"

Sophia didn't even have to glance at the stones. "The white one is mine, and the blue one's for Daryl." She smiled, "It matches his eyes."

Amy had never caught a glimpse of the redneck's eye color – mainly because whenever she saw him he was squinting from the bright glare of the sun – or he wasn't looking her way. So she nodded her head in agreement and told the redheaded girl that Daryl was sure to appreciate the gift, even though she was a bit uncertain due to the scene earlier that day.

"Dinner time everybody!" Lori called out from the campfire. Both girls' mouths watered at the thought of food – despite it being roasted squirrel and some canned beans. Sophia stuffed the bracelets into her pocket before following Amy over to the glowing fire and plopping herself down beside her.

Once all the food had been passed around, Morales began questioning Dale about the watch he was always winding each day. Sophia didn't really understand what the old man was talking about, but what she did understand was that it was dark and Daryl and the others had not returned yet.

"Hey, where are you going?" Andrea questioned as her younger sister stood.

Amy rolled her eyes, "I've gotta pee." She replied in a slight whisper, although everyone could still hear her. "Geez, talk about being discreet."

Sophia laughed along with everyone else and looked over to see her momma smiling and chuckling just a bit.

"Hey, are we seriously out of toilet paper?" Amy called from the open RV door.

Sophia was digging into her last few pieces of squirrel and was too hungry to look over towards the older blonde. Suddenly, the relaxed atmosphere was shattered by a blood-curdling scream.

* * *

><p>Daryl walked along side Rick, T-Dog, and Glenn – their strides getting longer and more hurried by the now sunken sun. He glanced over at the sheriff and noticed the determination that plastered the man's face to hide his anxiety and fear. Sweat trickled down everyman's brow, soaking into their shirts and making each the more anxious and touchy. Every now and then, the blonde redneck found himself gripping the shotgun tightly and jogging a few feet before dropping back into a hurried walk.<p>

'_That damn kid wasted all our time! We could'a been back before dark with the guns! Not walkin' around at night with hungry Geeks everywhere!'_

He continued to churn his frustration towards Miguel and the other members of Vatos who had jumped him in Atlanta and kidnapped Glenn. Glenn noticed the increasing pace of the short-tempered man and wondered if he was pissed at him or if he was just mad that Merle had stolen their truck and up and left.

"We're almost there, not much farther." Rick stated, more to himself than anyone else.

Daryl focused on the road ahead of him and barely caught Rick's statement. He jogged forward some more, followed by Rick and soon after, T-Dog and Glenn. He repeated to himself that Merle wouldn't dare hurt anyone in the camp – after all, it was T-Dog who had dropped the key to the handcuffs that Rick had used to chain him to the rooftop. The others were innocent. But when he thought about it, he knew his brother didn't understand the word 'mercy'.

He opened his mouth to bark for the others to hurry the hell up, when a piercing scream tore through the night air – sending a jolt of fear down his spine. Suddenly, all he could think about was some Walker taking a big bite out of little Sophia – blood everywhere and her screams echoing into the night – attracting more hungry Walkers that surrounded her and tore at her skin ravenously with rotten teeth. The blood pounded in his ears and the adrenaline kicked in instantly as the gory image became more and more vivid within his mind. The blonde's pace went from a fast walk straight to an all-out sprint to camp, shotgun in one hand and crossbow strapped across his back. The other men followed after the panicked redneck – each fighting their own bloody visions of what awaited them back at camp.

Soon after gunfire was heard, along with more panicked screams and also shrieks of agony. Daryl was in the lead as he sprinted towards the camp, the shotgun strangely light in his calloused hands as he burst into the campsite, gun raised. He faintly heard the shuffle of Rick, T-Dog and Glenn right behind him, but was too focused on the Walker chomping on one unfortunate survivor. He shot it through the side of the head and moved forward to take out a second that was lurching towards him hungrily.

Throughout the mad confusion and gunfire, Daryl searched for that familiar red hair and blue T-shirt with the rainbow on the front. Another rotten corpse ambled out of the bushes where tents were placed and he merely glanced at it before pulling the trigger and blowing its head to bits. As he continued to search for the little girl, he noticed Shane backing some others toward the Winnebago – shotgun in hand – and calling out for Rick. Adrenaline soon mixed with anger as his vision began to take root in his mind and the next Geek he saw tearing into a body was met with the butt of his gun. Gritting his teeth, Daryl spied yet another snarling corpse and bashed into its decaying face with the butt of the gun.

In a matter of minutes it was all over.

Sobs, panting, and the subtle crackle of the fire were the only sounds that were heard. Then Lori was running towards Rick with Carl and the family was embracing tightly and crying together. Andrea sat on her knees beside her dying sister and cried and attempted to comfort Amy as she lay in the dirt with blood pooling out of the massive wound on her throat.

And then he heard it; the sound of Carol sobbing her daughter's name as she held her close and tried to calm her. Daryl rushed over and dropped his firearm onto the ground as he knelt in front of the two. He grabbed the girl's shoulders and turned her around to face him as he inspected her for any bites or scratches.

"Daryl!" She cried before latching her small body onto his like a leech. "Daryl it was awful! They came outta nowhere and…and…" She drifted off as she buried her face into his sweaty tank, clinging tightly and sobbing uncontrollably.

The sudden physical contact caught the blonde off-guard, but he reminded himself that this was a 12-year old girl who had just witnessed something that belonged only in movies. He slowly wrapped his muscled arms around the girl's tiny frame and began to whisper words into her hair that only his momma had ever told him. It was the same position, and almost the same situation, except instead of people being killed; it was his beloved momma that was leaving forever – making her "dead" to Merle and their daddy.

_Flashback_

'_I'm sorry Daryl baby but…I can't take it anymore. I'm tired of your daddy beatin' on me every night, and I hate how you have to see that and hear it.'_

'_But…what about me? Can I come too?'_

_She sniffed sadly and cupped his 7-year old face lovingly. 'I'm afraid not baby, I wish I could but…I just can't.'_

'_But momma I love you! You don't beat me an' you sing so pretty an' you make all my bruises go 'way.' The young boy clung to her desperately. 'Please momma don't go!'_

'_Shh, Daryl, honey I won't ever be gone for real.' She started. 'I'll always be with you and watching over you, no matter where I am.'_

_The blonde boy doesn't say a word, but only cries into her chest. She holds him close and begins to whisper loving words that she reserved only for him into his hair, gently rocking him back and forth._

'_I love you momma. I'll find you one day. An' when I do, will you sing for me? Jus' like you do before bed?'_

_She kissed his temple lovingly. 'Yes baby, I love you too and I promise I'll sing for you as soon as you find me. I promise.'_

_End Flashback_

The memory made Daryl hug Sophia even tighter as he continued to whisper to her. Normally, the younger Dixon would have pushed the girl away after only a few seconds, but right now he didn't care if anyone saw him. Carol watched in silence, she couldn't believe that Daryl Dixon – younger brother of Merle Dixon – who was racist at times and quick to temper like his brother, was kneeling in front of her and holding her little girl and comforting her as if she were his own. After a few more minutes, Sophia let go of him and tried to wipe the tearstains off her cheeks.

Now the only human-like sound that echoed around the camp besides sobs was the mournful moan of Andrea repeating her sister's name over and over. It was then that Sophia suddenly realized that the young blonde – whom she was happily making friendship bracelets with just an hour earlier – had been attacked.

"AMY!" She cried as she left Daryl's side and sat on her knees next to Andrea.

The little girl began to cry all over again as she listened to Amy choking on her own blood and watched the sticky liquid pour endlessly from her throat. Carol gasped and froze while Daryl and everyone else looked on helplessly.

"Amy! Amy it's me, Sophia!" She sobbed as she gripped the dying girl's unbitten arm. "Please Amy don't die! What about those stories you told me? About you catching all those fish with a sandwich? What about-."

Andrea finally took notice that someone else was beside her, mourning for her sister, and stared at the girl as if she were a Walker.

'_Stories? Amy told her about that day?' _She thought tearfully. _'Oh Amy! Why didn't you just stay inside the RV? Why didn't you just wait?'_

* * *

><p>Amy's vision was blotchy and kept fading in and out, making it hard to distinguish who the second mourner was, but she still had her hearing and she recognized the girly voice of Sophia. Tears formed in her eyes and she tried to speak the girl's name, but the blood in her throat made it come out only as another pathetic gurgle. She wanted to comfort the girl, as well as her older sister, and also wanted to thank Sophia for teaching her that people like Daryl Dixon deserved a second chance and someone to care for him.<p>

The blonde man was much more perceptive than anyone else in the group and instantly understood that Amy wanted to say something, but couldn't no matter how hard she tried. He strode over to the RV and walked in, trying not to look at the crying little girl, and dug around multiple drawers until he found some paper and a sharpie. Daryl hurried out and knelt beside Sophia, holding out the marker and paper so that Amy could see them. Her dulling eyes brightened a bit as she reached for the objects slowly. She could only hold the sharpie, so Daryl had Sophia hold the paper to his back as she scribbled some scraggly words onto it. When she finished, he turned and read the paper aloud, trying his best not to ruin the heartfelt words with his gruff, southern voice.

"Andrea, you always promised that you would come for my birthdays. Every year I'd call all excited and you would be just as excited as I was." Said blonde let out a dry laugh as she guiltily looked away.

"You never showed up, but I never hated you. I would be sad, but then I told myself that you must have been too busy helping someone out with their own problems in court. Then I'd feel selfish and smile and plan a fishing trip for just the two of us, just like when dad was alive." Andrea looked at her sister with wide eyes – the younger sister smiling weakly.

"We finally got to have that trip I'd planned for so long. I don't care that it was after the world fell apart and the dead began to eat the living. None of that mattered to me. All I cared about was finally getting to spend time with you. That's all I ever wanted."

Daryl stopped and couldn't help but envy the two sisters. He and his brother never had a connection like that. Merle acknowledged him as his younger brother, but only as a brother he had to watch for and make sure he didn't do anything stupid. There were no birthdays in the Dixon household, even when his momma was around. Merle thought they were for pussies and their father would nod and smack him or his momma whenever they brought it up. Even so, she would always get him something small and give it to him in the middle of the night. Sometimes she made it herself and he had always kept her gifts in an old shoebox that he kept hidden under his mattress.

He cleared his throat before continuing. "To Sophia, you are the sweetest little girl I've ever met, and I'm glad we got to become friends." Sophia held onto Amy's hand as he read on. "Just think, if this whole mess had never happened, we would have never met each other. We would never have had such a great time together, never would have made those bracelets."

Amy looked at Sophia with a smile, despite the pain in her numbing body. "I've never met such an open-hearted kid before. You want to make everyone happy and feel as if they are important. As if they have someone to care about them. That's what I liked most about you Sophia." Daryl swiped some dirt and sweat away from his forehead. "I told you those stories because I knew that you needed to hear them. It's funny, I was planning on taking you out on the water and teaching you how to fish, but I guess I won't be able to."

Sophia cried again, but this time Amy put her cold hand on her cheek and rubbed it feebly as she smiled. The others stood in morbid silence as they listened to what were the girl's last words and wishes.

"I'm sorry I let you down, but always remember what I told you. Don't you ever forget." Sophia nodded, "I promise, I promise I won't _ever _forget Amy." She tried not to cry even harder. Andrea watched in her near-shock state, too traumatized by her sister's words and condition to do anything but stare at her face.

"And Daryl…" The blonde stopped in surprise, looking at Amy, who still had that smile on her face and nodded for him to continue. "…I haven't known you long. In fact I hardly knew you at all. I just thought of you as a clone of your older brother, just better looking." Daryl snorted. "That was before I saw you playing with Sophia and Carl behind the log pile."

Carl's head lifted up and he looked at Amy in surprise; he hadn't known she'd been watching. "I didn't know what to think at first, but when I saw you later asleep while Sophia braided your hair, and when you let her parade you around camp, I knew that you were not your brother. You were different." Amy let go of Sophia's hand for a moment and shakily placed it on Daryl's knee. "I realized that underneath all that tough exterior, you were really a caring guy. You proved yourself to me again when you beat up Ed. You showed me that you have honor and respect and that you will not tolerate anyone treating others disrespectfully. I learned that you were a man of your word when you promised Carol you would protect her and Sophia."

Daryl continued to read in disbelief as this girl who barely knew him talked about him as if he were some saint. "I know now that you will protect Sophia, so please make me a promise. Make a deal with me. You must watch over Sophia, teach her knew things, and keep her safe. Don't let her become one of those things."

The last sentence put a lump in the redneck's throat, but he nodded all the same to Amy. "Ya got yourself a deal."

Amy felt relief, as she knew her time was almost up. She reached for the paper, sharpie in hand, and Daryl obliged. The blonde scribbled her last, final words. Words she would never regret.

Daryl took the paper and couldn't believe the words she had written. "You're a good man Daryl."

The blonde Dixon folded the paper slowly and placed it in his pocket and stood. Sophia got up too and held onto his arm, not afraid of whether he'd shake her off or not. He didn't, he just looked down at the dirt and then to Amy, taking note of the light leaving her eyes. Andrea cupped her sister's face and when Amy's final breath left her, the older sister cried Amy's name and continued to hover over her now dead body.

* * *

><p>No one slept that night. Carol and Sophia couldn't sleep in their tent due to Ed's devoured body rotting inside, so Dale offered them the RV, which they accepted. The Grimes family stayed huddled by the embers of the fire pit, trying to block out the stench of death and rotting flesh. T-Dog sat with Jacqui in some lawn chairs, while Glenn disappeared to his own tent nearby. The Morales family stayed inside their car for the night. Dale stayed atop the Winnebago, determined to keep an eye out for any stray Walkers. Shane hung with Jim in the front of the RV, too overwhelmed to even try to shut his eyes. Daryl went to his tent and reopened Amy's will of sorts. He read the part she addressed to him over and over, tossing around her final sentence in his head.<p>

'_You're a good man Daryl.'_

He wanted to believe those words so much, but how could he? He was just white trash. He yelled at Sophia and almost hit her. He could hear Merle's voice in the back of his mind, taunting him and telling him he was no good. He meant nothing to them and they were all afraid of him. The blonde shook his head and punched the ground in frustration. Then his mother's words came to him again, and he suddenly realized how similar they were to Amy's.

'_You're a good boy Daryl. I know you'll find someone who'll care for you like I do. You're gonna get big and strong and nobody's ever gonna be afraid of you like your daddy and Merle. You are the best son a mom could ask for. Just remember that I love you, and that someday you'll find someone who'll love you as much as I do. Always remember that.'_

As those words echoed in his mind, Daryl tucked the paper inside his pocket again before taking some deep breaths and connecting with his Zen. After all that had happened, he needed it now more than ever.

-**Time Skip**-

The Georgia sun glared down at the small group of survivors on the car-infested highway. They were all gathered in some sort of circle, discussing their next plan of action.

"We need to scavenge for supplies, try and siphon gas from some of these vehicles to fill up our own." Rick began. He pointed to Daryl and T-Dog, "I need you two to scout ahead and see what's farther up the highway."

Daryl snorted. "What d'ya think is up there? A Krispy Kreme?"

"No, I don't." He replied calmly. "But if there is a herd of Walkers ahead then it would be better to know before they get too close." T-Dog nodded in agreement, and Daryl pulled his crossbow off his shoulder.

The ex-cop turned towards the rest of the group – excluding the Morales, who had gone their separate ways to hopefully find more of their family, and Jim, who had been bitten back at the quarry and had been left behind of his own free will, while they had all headed to the CDC. "The rest of you will scavenge the cars around the RV for food, water, anything that can help. Especially things that can provide as weapons." He motioned to Dale, who was carrying his rifle in his arms. "Dale and I will keep watch for any Walkers, so stay close, don't wander too far, and _don't _go into the woods or off the highway. Understood?"

Everyone nodded in agreement and split up among the scattered cars and trucks, checking each vehicle carefully and making as little noise as possible in case of Walkers. Sophia started after her mother, when she felt a slight weight in her pocket. Then she remembered the friendship bracelets she and Amy had made together. She pulled them out and ran after Daryl and T-Dog, not wanting to risk calling out their names in case of any Geeks lying around.

When she got close enough, Daryl heard the sound of someone running and looked over his shoulder and stopped. "An' where do you think yer goin'?" He asked as he turned around fully. "Your momma's that way," he pointed. "Can't have a lil' string bean like you draggin' us down."

"I'm not following you. I just wanted to give you something." She replied. T-Dog and Daryl exchanged glances. Sophia looked at T-Dog, "You can go on ahead, he'll catch up."

The man started to protest, but decided not to when Daryl motioned for him to just go. T-Dog rolled his eyes and walked off shaking his head.

The blonde redneck turned back to the little red-haired girl and noticed both her hands were clenched around something. Sophia held out her palms and revealed two handmade friendship bracelets – at least that what Daryl thought they were, he'd never really seen ones like these, but he'd seen the flashy ones on girls' wrists before.

"These are friendship bracelets, Amy helped me make them." It clicked now in his mind, he'd wondered what bracelets Amy had been talking about in her 'will'.

She held out one with a beautiful sky blue stone with teal flecks tied in the middle, a smile on her face. "This one's for you. I picked it out by the quarry one day. It matches your eyes, I think."

Daryl stared in complete surprise at the gift, quickly finding his voice before she thought he didn't like it. "So you made this?" He asked gruffly as he gently picked up the accessory. "Well, Amy helped me, but yeah I did." He didn't respond as he fingered the leather and brushed his thumb over the stone.

"Do you like it?"

The Dixon brother looked from the bracelet to Sophia and chuckled. "S' perfect. Thanks Lima Bean."

Her eyes lit up like it was Christmas and Daryl could have swore he saw sparkles in her eyes. "You do? You really like it? Oh I knew you would!" She began excitedly. "Amy did too! She thought it was a great idea!"

Daryl tried to tie the bracelet around his right wrist, but his larger fingers made it difficult, especially one handed. "Here, let me help."

He held out his wrist and in seconds it was tied securely. The blonde pointed to the one in her other hand. "S' that yours?" She nodded.

Without a word, Daryl set his beloved crossbow on the ground and knelt on one knee, gently taking the bracelet and wrapping it around her right wrist. It was much easier to tie one on someone else he realized.

Sophia admired the white stone for a moment before looking up at the man who had stood once more. "Thank you for the assistance, Sergeant Dixon." She said while saluting him.

He grunted and flicked her forehead, "Don't you be mockin' me girl. Otherwise I won't teach you any more." He laughed throatily as her eyes got wide as dinner plates.

Daryl picked up his crossbow and put a hand on Sophia's shoulder and turned her a full 180 degrees and pushed her forward gently. "Now git on over to your momma, she's probably been worried sick about you."

She obeyed and started walking back to the others, stopping once to look over her shoulder to catch his nod before he turned his back and strode in the opposite direction. Once back with the others, she explored with her mother by her side, cautiously, yet curiously inspecting a gold Pontiac with broken windows. She made sure no bodies were inside, and once it was clear the girl crawled in slowly and began digging around. A glittered key charm caught her eye as it dangled onto the silver key that was still in the ignition.

"Hm, maybe I can make a charm bracelet out of these, if I find enough of them." She pondered aloud.

Sophia unhooked the charm and discovered that it was in the shape of the letter 'S'. She smiled and clipped it to a belt loop on her pants before climbing into the passenger seat and opening the glove box. After some sifting through, she found a small first aid kit, but nothing else useful. The 12-year old checked the backseat and found only some loose change and some CD's.

"Sophia? Where are you?" Carol's voice whispered from outside the car. Sophia scrambled out and Carol let out a relieved sigh.

"I found a first aid kit, but nothin' else." The older woman praised her daughter and took the kit. "I did find this pretty charm though, see? It has my first initial." She showed her mother the glittered letter and mentioned her idea of making a charm bracelet.

"Well, if you want to, I'll tell the others to keep their eyes peeled for any more key chains, alright?" Sophia nodded happily.

Suddenly, Rick's hushed voice reached them as he told them to hide underneath the cars because a herd of Geeks was heading their way. Lori had just been walking up to Carol when her husband made the order, so she grabbed the mother and pulled her under a closer Ford, while Sophia was left to squeeze under the Pontiac she had just pilfered. Carol struggled against Lori, who held the woman still and covered her mouth in case she made any noise. Sophia looked over to her momma and mouthed that she was ok. Then the faint sound of approaching footsteps reached them and a few slow seconds later the dead came shuffling through.

* * *

><p>"Hey Daryl, you find anything good yet?"<p>

The blonde pulled his head out of a pickup truck and faced his partner. "Not really, jus' some screwdrivers an' tissues." T-Dog shook his head.

"Man, I really wish we could'a found some smokes or somethin'. I'm dyin' for one right now." Daryl chuckled and tossed a small box to the man.

T-Dog caught the tossed object and gave the redneck a nasty glare. Daryl smirked, "Wanted to hear you whine for 'em first."

The duo resumed their scavenger hunt, but then T-Dog hissed about a herd of approaching Walkers headed their way. In his panic to hide, he ended up slicing open his right arm on a broken car window. He cursed and tried to stop the bleeding, knowing it would attract the hungry Geeks. He told himself to stay calm and quiet and held his arm and waited, hoping the walking dead would not notice his presence. Unfortunately, one Walker took a different path than the first few and spied T-Dog leaning against the car, bleeding.

Groaning lightly with hunger, the Walker - who had at one time been a mechanic of some kind – limped towards the man slowly. T-Dog whimpered silently and watched the lumbering corpse get closer and closer. Suddenly, Daryl popped out from around an over turned car as silent as a cat. Once the Walker took two more steps, he crept up behind it and slid his crossbow onto the hood of a nearby car, wrapped one muscled arm around the thing's neck and shoved a rusty screwdriver into the base of it's skull. The blonde redneck fell with the corpse onto the ground and yanked out the screwdriver fiercely, before putting a dirty finger to his lips while looking at T-Dog.

"Shh..." Was all that came out before he jumped up and dragged his partner by the ankles across the ground until he was lying flat on his back.

T-Dog didn't protest, due to his fading consciousness, and said not a word as Daryl dragged the recently killed mechanic over his body, before grabbing another corpse from the closest vehicle and covering his own body with the decaying cadaver.

Just moments after Daryl hid himself, the rest of the herd limped and shuffled through, moaning and hissing as they wandered forward in search of a meal. He waited until he could no longer hear their footsteps before shoving the dead body off him and pulling the second off of a barely conscious T-Dog and hauling the man's uninjured arm over his shoulder, before grabbing his crossbow and heading back to the RV.

As he slowly approached the group, Daryl noticed Lori holding onto Carol, as if she were holding her back from something. Rick was nowhere to be seen and Carl looked distraught as they all looked into the nearby woods with panic written on their faces.

"Hey! Need some help 'ere." He called out. Dale and Glenn snapped their attention to the voice and helped get T-Dog off Daryl and leaned him against the RV sitting down. Dale inspected the man's bleeding wound and told Glenn to go inside the RV and find some napkins to try and stop the bleeding. The young Asian obliged and returned with a small stack, helping the old man to staunch the bleeding.

Daryl approached Lori and a distraught Carol, his body tense when he noticed Sophia was not around. "What the hell happened?" He started. "Where's Sophia?"

Lori held onto Carol as she continued to struggle feebly. "Two Walkers found Sophia under one of the cars and chased her into the woods. Rick ran after her and we're waiting for them to come back."

The sweaty blonde set his jaw and cursed under his breath, the grip on his crossbow tightening. "I'm gonna go get 'em. Rick won't be able to use his gun, cuz it'll attract the others. My crossbow is much quieter and that lil' girl will be just fine."

He started towards the woods, but Lori called him back. "Daryl no! We need you to stay here and guard the rest of us. Dale and Glenn are busy with T-Dog and Andrea is in a bit of shock from her run-in with a Walker. Shane is inside the RV but he's…not feeling well. I don't have a gun and neither does Carol or Carl. We are defenseless in case that herd comes back or if more come." She gave him a pleading look. "We need you to stay here Daryl. I'm sorry. I know you care about Sophia but you're needed here."

Carl looked at Daryl and watched as the man struggled with the churning anger and frustration within him. After a minute or two he let out a growl and kicked a nearby car, before climbing atop it and scouting the area for any danger. He wondered to himself why his mother had lied. Shane was hiding inside the RV because he was angry or something, not because he was sick. Carl wanted to tell Daryl that he didn't have to stay, but then he remembered that his dad was out there and he would find Sophia. He would just feel better if Daryl went too.

* * *

><p>When Rick returned awhile later - new blood splatters adorning his sheriff's uniform and sweat soaking his hair – exhausted and alone, Carol let out the most pitiful sound anyone had ever heard. It had been Daryl that had spotted Rick first, determinedly sweeping his blue eyes over the whole edge of the woods and the highway, waiting with slim patience for Rick AND Sophia's return.<p>

"Carol please calm down. I'm sure she can't be far." Rick explained. "I got to her first and told her to hide under a fallen tree while I led the two Walkers away. I told her to wait until I led them away and when we were gone to run back the way we came, back up to the highway." The sheriff wiped some sweat off his forehead before gesturing towards the woods. "After I killed the Walkers, I made my way back to where I left her to make sure she listened, but she was gone when I got there. So I came back and you're sure she didn't come back?"

Daryl slung his crossbow over his shoulder and made his way down while Carl looked at his father in utter disappointment. "NO she didn't come back!" He shouted, "You left her dad! How could you just leave her! She's my best friend!"

Lori tried to silence her son's screaming in case of Walkers, but failed. "You were supposed to find her dad!"

Rick looked distraught and seemed to age a bit as he listened to his son's accusations. "Look son I'm sorry. It was the only way to get those Walkers away from Sophia and keep her safe." He placed his hand on the boy's shoulder and got down to his level. "I don't know why she didn't come back, maybe she saw another Walker and had to run. I don't know. But we won't give up. We're gonna go look for her again, right now."

Everyone jumped slightly as Daryl jumped off from the RV ladder and onto the pavement. Shane eyed the blonde with a steely gaze as he approached the group and his fingers twitched against the cool metal of the shotgun.

"Well then les' go already!" He barked as he returned his crossbow to his hands. "Lil' thing like 'er can't get too far on foot, 'specially in the woods."

He met Rick's gaze and bit back a few choice words. "Take me t' where ya left her and I'll pick up her tracks from there."

The ex-cop nodded before putting the search party together – which included Shane and Glenn along with Rick and Daryl – while the others stayed on the highway. Dale took to watching over a recovering T-Dog, while Andrea stood watch and Lori, Carl and Carol headed inside the RV. Rick kissed his wife before heading off into the woods with the other men behind him, while Lori gingerly pulled a reluctant and distraught Carol into the Winnebago.

* * *

><p>"Son of a bitch." Daryl muttered as he studied the tracks imprinted into the forest floor.<p>

Rick bent down a bit to try and see the problem. "What's wrong?" Daryl stood back up and fought the urge to shoot the man.

"Her tracks lead straight to the road," he began while pointing with two fingers. "But then they jus' veer off to the left and away from it."

Glenn checked the perimeter nervously before asking what it meant. The blonde redneck gave the jittery Asian a look that could kill. "It means she went th' other way dumbass."

Rick attempted to calm the Dixon brother as he tried to think of why Sophia would run in the opposite direction.

"Are there any tracks other than hers nearby? Maybe she was heading back and a Walker showed up and she had to run the opposite way."

They got quiet and waited as the crossbow-wielding tracker studied the earth some more. He stood and said he couldn't find any other than hers. The four men took a moment to sift through the information.

"Maybe she just got scared and ran off." Shane suggested. The others looked at him strangely.

"Then why th' hell would she run in the _opposite direction _smartass?" Daryl retorted.

Shane narrowed his eyes and took a step towards the blonde. "Gee, I don't know Daryl. Maybe she thought of you smashin' those people's faces with a pickaxe and got scared."

It took both Glenn and Rick to hold back the fiery redneck as he lunged at Shane, cursing worse than any trucker ever would, and even then they were being slowly pushed back by the pure animalistic rage that belonged to Daryl Dixon. He shook them off and glared at the smirking cop before raising his crossbow and following the tracks farther into the woods.

Glenn and Shane started after the tracker, but were stopped by Rick and told to return to the highway to calm the others. Glenn nodded and quickly made his way back to the road, while Shane was held back by his best friend.

Rick put his hands on his hips and looked his friend straight in the eyes, "What the hell was that about?" He asked.

Shane's gaze flickered to the left slightly before returning Rick's questioning gaze. "What are you talkin' about Rick?"

"Don't bullshit me Shane." He warned. "What was that with Daryl? Do you have a problem with him or somethin'?"

The deputy chuckled and shook his head. "Look Rick, everyone has a problem with Daryl. He's hotheaded and no different than that douche bag brother of his."

Rick glared at Shane before shaking his head and gesturing in the direction that Daryl had gone. "Look Shane, I know Daryl can be short-tempered and is not the most social person in the group, but he's nothing like Merle."

Shane looked around in exasperation and pointed accusingly towards Daryl's shrinking form. "He's just like that asshole Rick! Did you see what he did to Carol's husband?"

"I heard the whole story from Lori. She said that Daryl beat up Ed for touching Sophia inappropriately." He took a step closer and enforced his glare. "Daryl gave Ed what he deserved. If I had been there I would have done the same thing, so don't try to make his actions sound barbaric."

The deputy snorted in contempt. "What about when he practically smacked Carol's daughter? You gonna justify that too Rick?"

"He was angry because I handcuffed his brother to a roof in Atlanta and left him! Wouldn't you be pissed if I did that to someone close to you?"

Shane's face became unreadable.

"What he did and _almost_ did was wrong. He didn't think things through, but Sophia still didn't hide from him. Not entirely." He removed his hat to run his fingers through his hair before replacing the sheriff's hat and continuing. "Look Shane, right now trust is hard to come by. I trust you with my life. Daryl is gaining my trust and right now I trust _him _to find Sophia."

Shane started to say something but stopped and shook his head before stomping back to the highway. Rick watched his best friend leave and sighed deeply before turning to follow Daryl into the woods.

* * *

><p>Returning empty-handed was not an option for Daryl Dixon, but after the sun disappeared and night came upon them, the duo had no choice but to head back. Rick looked the blonde straight in the eyes and put a hand on his shoulder, ignoring the flinch.<p>

"You did your best for now Daryl, we'll start fresh in the morning. I promise."

Daryl shrugged off Rick's hand but nodded and they started back towards the highway. Rick's hand hovered over his gun holster, while Daryl stalked through with his crossbow raised, both listening for any sounds other than crickets.

"Guess you're not such a pussy after all." Rick gave the blonde redneck a confused glance.

"Takes balls t' lure two Walkers an' bash their heads with a rock." He aimed his sights into some bushes that shook suspiciously, before revealing a frightened possum.

"Gotta say, I'm surprised you wanted t' gut that poxy bastard too."

Rick made a sort of snorting sound that basically meant, 'So am I'.

"Well, like I said. At least we know"

Daryl nodded and they continued back to the highway in silence, Rick deciding it best not to ask about the bracelet on the blonde's wrist.

* * *

><p><strong>Soooo? How was it? Oh and if you haven't figured it out, the next chapter will be the 4th and FINAL CHAPTER. I promise for reals this time.<strong>

** If there are any mistakes PLEASE let me know. I'm falling asleep right now as I re-read it for the billlionth time!**

**Sad scenes and touching scenes, and of course BAMF Daryl taking over! :D**


	4. Chapter 4

**So sorry for the wait! I've been busy preparing for finals which are next week! D:**

** Thank you to all my reviewers and supporters! I really appreciate everything!**

**I've also learned that I should stop promising things, since this is NOT the final chapter. Again. *sigh***

* * *

><p>-<strong>Time Skip<strong>-

"Sophia!"

The surrounding flora fluttered with the breeze in response, but otherwise no reply came.

Daryl set his jaw and muttered a curse under his breath before continuing on his original path through the woods, eyes and ears straining for any sign of the 12-year old.

'_Girl's gotta be out here holed up somewhere.' _

The blonde redneck raised his crossbow and checked the ground and nearby bushes for any signs that Sophia had been through there. It had been three hours now and so far there had been no sign of the girl. Again.

"Sophia!" He called again, highly aware that he risked attracting Walkers.

When he got no response, the man started forward again, determined to find the little girl and maybe even redemption for himself. As he searched, he thought of how Sophia would have loved the farm they were staying at. He'd been skeptical about the family that owned the farm at first, but pretty soon he blocked them out, only focusing on finding Carol's little girl.

_SNAP!_

With lightning quick reflexes, Daryl pivoted 90 degrees to his left, crossbow aiming into a clump of dense briar. Everything around him fell away; even the heat of the day no longer bothered him. The birds squawked before flying away, squirrels screeched alarm calls before scattering into the trees, leaving the whole forest silent as death.

Another shallow breath escaped his barely parted lips, muscles tense and trained reflexes at their peak. Seconds later, another snap was followed by the shuffle of footsteps. The blonde gripped his weapon tighter as a low moan sounded from the moving bushes. Then itstepped out – blood trailing along its arms and legs with skin dangling from the neck and upper arms – slowly. It appeared to have been a female doctor with once-bright red hair and probably a nice smile. The stethoscope still hung around it's chewed up throat and it still had the lab coat from God-knows-when she was infected.

The Walker let out a hungry groan and stumbled towards him feverishly – black and red fingers reaching out and mouth agape in anticipation. Daryl took aim between the eyes and prepared to pull the trigger, but stopped short when he spotted something blue stuck onto the thing's fingernail. Suddenly, a thousand images of Sophia being caught and devoured savagely by the Walker flashed through Daryl's mind, pulling out the reckless anger that prowled through his inner being.

"Fuckin' skank!" He snarled as he squeezed the trigger, hitting it right in the middle of the forehead. It's decomposing body collapsed instantly onto the forest floor, but it wasn't enough. Furious, Daryl stormed over and kicked the Walker's head, twisting it around halfway and snapping the neck bones loudly. He began attacking the corpse with vicious vigor, beating the face in with the butt of his crossbow, snapping arms and legs with his boot, and brutally kicking the torso until the Walker looked as if it had been thrown in front of a train.

"Poxy-ridden bitch." He spat after retrieving his arrow before trudging in the direction the Walker had come. Daryl felt anxiety overloading him as his mind kept flashing back to the same blue fabric in the Walker's nails as Sophia's shirt. The blonde shook his head fiercely; desperately trying to ignore the gut-wrenching feeling that image gave him.

'_She's gonna be jus' fine, stop bein' such a pussy with worryin'.' _He admonished inwardly.

Daryl ignored the irritating tickle of sweat gathering on his neck, focusing only on his surroundings, searching for any kind of sign. After ten minutes, he finally found something, making his so-called heart of ice pulse excitedly. A dirty blue piece of fabric clung onto the thorn bush, obviously snagged from the previous Walker when it stumbled through.

He searched around for any signs of a scuffle or blood, but found none, which relieved him greatly. The determined redneck continued along the track, his sky blue eyes scanning for that familiar red hair and freckled face.

"Sophia?" He called out. "It's Daryl."

It frustrated him to not hear a response for the billionth time that day, but Daryl was a Dixon and Dixons don't quit.

"C'mon Lima-Bean, if yer hidin' somewhere you can come out now. Ain't nothin' here 'cept me."

There was a sudden rustling to his right, but he knew from experience it wasn't Sophia or a Walker. The blonde jumped to the left and whipped out his buck knife, quickly catching sight of the cottonmouth as it opened it's famed mouth and let out a shrill hiss. Daryl was surprised to find a cottonmouth here, especially so far from any water source that he knew of. He wasn't extremely worried though, because he'd had his fair share of run-ins with other snakes, both harmless and deadly.

The snake hissed again and struck towards his foot, but earned a hard kick in the mouth that sent it skidding across the ground. While it was stunned, he pressed his boot on its neck and swiftly dispatched the head and kicked it away. The mouth remained open and its tongue flicked a bit as death began to catch up with the brain. He'd learned the hard way when he was nine that even if you cut off the head, it can still bite and inject the venom stored in the cavities above the fangs. Luckily for little Daryl Dixon, it had been a harmless corn snake, but the pain quickly earned the ire of his younger self, resulting in the fangs being cut out and fashioned as a prized bracelet he'd worn till his father beat him near unconsciousness and ripped it off.

"Dumbass." He smirked, "Ain't smart ta sneak up on a Dixon."

He worked quickly, carefully cutting out the two fangs and draining the venom before wedging them between the braided leather of his bracelet.

"_This one's for you. I picked it out by the quarry one day. It matches your eyes, I think_."

Once finished, Daryl followed the bloody trail leading to wherever the Geek had come from. The blonde threaded carefully through the undergrowth, not very keen on being bit by a venomous snake and rendered completely helpless in the forest. He skillfully vaulted over a rotting log, unaware of the corpse lying directly on the other side.

"Shit!" He hissed as his feet tripped over the rotten thing's body, sending him tumbling to the leaf-littered ground beside the undead carcass. The Dixon brother cursed violently as he rolled away from the prone Walker and whipped out his knife, coiled and ready to strike. A split second before he buried the blade into its skull, Daryl realized that it had already been brutally stabbed between the eyes, which were staring at him through a milky film.

"The hell?" He prodded the corpse with his boot, but it didn't rise or groan, just laid there and rotted in the heat.

'_Someone's out here.' _He mused. The blonde swung his crossbow over his shoulder and poised the blade so that if there were any "living" Walkers nearby he wouldn't be completely defenseless.

'_Small blade, but deep puncture…' _Daryl continued to inspect the body, eventually gripping the filthy, blood-soaked shirt and rolling it onto its back. There were a few slash marks running across its rotted chest, jagged and amateurishly executed.

'_Whoever it was must'a been caught off guard…' _He eyed the hole between the eyes again. _'They have a good thrust though.'_

As he stood, Daryl got the nagging feeling that he was missing something, something important, but the vital thought danced away and he just shook his head and searched the surrounding area for any more fabric or something of Sophia's. When he found nothing, the blonde continued on his original path, but stopped short when something moved nearby. Crossbow ready, Daryl listened and waited, acutely aware that the forest had not gone silent as it did whenever a Walker came through. Hope bubbled in his chest and a strange impulse to run forward seized him for only a moment before passing.

A second later, a fat doe picked her way into the less crowded area of the forest, only about ten yards away from his location. He was suddenly glad he hadn't ran forward and frightened off a good meal for the group.

"_S' now you're their lil' bitch?" _Merle's voice rasped through Daryl's subconscious.

"Ain't nobody's bitch!" He snarled as he took aim and prepared to take down the doe before it bounded off.

"_Hnf, if that ain't the biggest piece a' shit. Why th' hell you even out here baby brother? Searchin' for some dumb bitch's daughter? She ain't yer kin."_

The younger brother gritted his teeth and pulled the trigger, producing a clean shot through the brain, which meant no tracking the beast down. He swung the crossbow over his shoulder and unsheathed the buck knife attached to his belt loop and quickly cut away the glands on the back legs. It was getting close to mating season and the glands would only rile up a nearby buck and give Daryl more trouble than he needed.

After positioning the doe around his neck fireman style, the blonde began trudging in the direction of the farm, silently apologizing to wherever Sophia was in that Godforsaken forest that he would be out there early the next morning.

"_Since when did you become such a damn woman?" _

Daryl groaned and tried to block out his older brother's manifested voice, but it was nearly impossible.

"_So you're out 'ere bustin' yer ass for some lil girl? I thought I taught you better bro."_

"I ain't leavin her! Someone's gotta look for her, might as well be me, seein' as I'm the only one who knows how to track." Merle's voice chuckled.

"_So you leave yer big brother fer dead in Atlanta? But you risk your sorry ass for someone else's kid? What I tell you 'bout feelings lil' brother?"_

The inward conversation gave Daryl a strange feeling, making him wonder if this was how people about to go mad felt.

"We went back for ya you dipshit. Rick and T-Dog and that Chinaman. You're th' one who left."

Merle's voice growled menacingly. _"Watch it boy. An did I jus' hear you call that motherfuckin' piece a' shit by name?"_

Daryl fought the urge to reply, reasoning with his redneck knowledge that if he kept this up, he'd either walk right into a Walker or go completely insane. Of course, that didn't stop the manifested voice from echoing throughout his mind almost the whole way to the farm.

* * *

><p>Glenn was on watch when Daryl's figure appeared from the tree line, the kid letting out a relieved sigh before calling out that Daryl was back. The doe around his shoulders caught the Korean's eye, making his stomach gurgle loudly and his mouth water. The strange thing was, he was a bit squeamish and had told himself in the past he would <em>never <em>eat venison or any other wild critter. He realized that this new, ugly world had made him somewhat of a hypocrite.

"Hey, want some help?" He called out as he jogged towards the blonde eagerly. He avoided using the word 'need', sensing that it would anger the Dixon brother in some way.

Daryl shifted the deer's weight a bit before grunting, "Nah, but I'd much appreciate th' help guttin' it." He smirked slightly as he said this, knowing full well how weak a stomach the boy tended to have.

"Oh…uh well I've never – uh I've never-." He jumped at Daryl's badly suppressed laughter. "Tell ya what Ramen boy, you keep Shane outta my face while I get things ready and I'll show ya how ta field dress this gal." He patted the doe's haunch as he said this before pushing past Glenn and marching towards the house, his gate a little less shuffled than before.

"Shane! Daryl's back!" Carl cried out.

The deputy raised his eyes to meet Carl's surprisingly hopeful gaze. "Yeah, I heard. Why don't you go inside and let your mom know."

Rick's son disappeared inside and Shane looked out across the field to spot Daryl striding towards the house with a deer across his shoulders. Shane snorted and began to make his way towards the blonde, but was suddenly intercepted by Glenn.

'_Where the hell did he come from?'_

"Hey Shane, do you think you could help me go pick up some wood I left over by my tent?" He began, his strangely shaped blade attached to his belt loop dangling comfortably.

"Uh, why do you need my help? Can't you carry 'em yourself?"

Glenn shook his head, "Wow, thanks Shane. You just made me sound like some poor kid who's never lifted anything heavier than a videogame controller."

Shane rolled his eyes, obviously not amused, but agreed to help out the kid and trudged after him, looking back from time to time, finally catching Daryl's eye just as Rick came out from around the house. The smirk the blonde gave him made his blood boil and he realized that Daryl had been well aware he would try to confront him.

"…If I can carry ten or more pizzas at a time, I am totally capable of carrying wood." Glenn rambled on. "So imagine how much wood there must be for a professional pizza guy to need to ask for help."

Shane looked about ready to explode, so Glenn shut up and led him to where the "wood pile" was. When they got there, there were only a few broken twigs left, which were in truth, from the woodpile two days ago.

"I thought you said there was wood to be picked up?" Shane growled.

"There was!" The boy exclaimed, thinking fast. "Dale or someone else must have been up here and decided to take it back to the house."

The deputy paced for two seconds before something clicked in his brain: it had all been a diversion. He gave Glenn a nasty glare, but the kid merely shrugged his shoulders innocently and tried to quell the twitching at the corners of his mouth.

Without a word, Shane stormed back to the house, leaving Glenn to finally let out the laughter he'd been holding back. What made it so funny, was the fact that it took Shane all the way out to his tent for him to realize what had happened.

* * *

><p>"Uhh…Daryl? Y-you sure you wanna teach <em>me <em>how to gut a deer?" Glenn stuttered.

Said blonde didn't reply, but instead gave him a somewhat reassuring look – if that's what you could call it. Daryl wasn't too good at reassuring people.

"Ok kid, first question: where do we start cuttin'?" Glenn's expression went to that of someone thinking hard.

"Um, the chest?" Before Daryl could say no, he redeemed himself. "Wait! I mean above where the intestines are! Right?"

"Close enough. Now, you wanna start cuttin' here, between the legs." He spread the doe's hind legs farther apart. "She's already gone stiff, so this'll be a bit tougher, but more fun."

Daryl told Glenn to get on his knees beside him as he demonstrated how to begin cutting, being careful not to puncture any organs, especially the intestines. The former pizza boy's eyes were glued to Daryl's work, the little voice in his head screaming for him to look away disappearing.

"Ok, see this here?" The Dixon brother pointed to a small sac under the layer of hide. Glenn nodded his head. "Well, that there is her milk bag. We're gonna cut it out so we can see what we're doin'."

Daryl told Glenn to hold back the hide as he cut around the milk bag, surprised that he didn't have to grab the kid's hands and force him to do it. Once that was done, the blonde handed the Asian his knife and instructed him how to hold the weapon.

"Now, I'm gonna stick my two fingers right under th' muscle and skin layer an' pull it upwards." He pointed to Glenn. "Your job is ta carefully cut towards the ribcage. Be sure to keep your cuts upwards, otherwise you'll puncture a gut and I don' wanna have the women on my ass about smellin' like shit."

Glenn swallowed and took a deep breath before doing as instructed. It wasn't as hard as he'd thought it would be, and pretty soon he felt more confident. Daryl watched the young man out of the corner of his eye, a strange feeling of pride welling up inside him. He fought it down and continued to keep the skin raised, secretly praying the kid didn't cut anything he wasn't supposed to.

"Ok, I think I see the ribs, now what?"

"Now you're gonna cut around the ribs in a Y shape. Th' sternum's too tough for that knife, and I ain't gonna dull my blade on somethin' we can easily go around."

Glenn nodded his head more steadily and without even realizing it, moved his hands where Daryl's were and began cutting around the ribs on his own.

'_Well damn, didn't think th' kid would take it up that quick.' _Daryl thought.

Glenn wiped the sweat from his brow and Daryl decided they take a break. The former pizza boy took a swig from his water canteen and offered some to his companion. The redneck took it with a nod and finished it off before tossing the empty canteen back to the young man. They didn't speak, deciding it best to just sit there in the grass with nothing but a dead deer, a knife, and the Georgia sun above.

"So…what's next?" Daryl chuckled throatily and gave the Asian a look. "Huh, didn't think balls grew that fast."

Glenn protested and gave the blonde's leg a good kick. Daryl threw him a mock scowl and punched the kid's arm before getting back on his knees by the doe.

"Alright, now we get t' the good part. Guttin' her." A grossed out look flickered across the Asian's face before determination set in. "Don' worry, not much cuttin' except for what keeps the organs attached."

"So we just pull them out?" Daryl nodded. "Yep."

The thought gave Glenn a strong sense of déjà vu, bringing him back to Atlanta when he and Rick had gutted and chopped up a Walker to disguise their scent.

**WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT. A.K.A. GUTS AND GORE. SKIP IF NEEDED.**

The younger Dixon started first, reaching inside and pulling out a handful of intestines, completely unfazed by the squishing sounds the organs made in protest. He held out his hand and Glenn passed him the buck knife, still watching intently as the blonde sliced the slimy cords away. Once those cords were gone, Daryl slipped the intestines out and tossed them aside without a second thought.

When he motioned for the young man to get closer, Glenn obeyed, eyeing the dead organs without scrunching his face up in disgust. The blonde pointed to a mass of organs that appeared to be fused together, but were really lying over each other perfectly as was nature's design.

While Daryl held the knife, Glenn reached in with both hands and scooped the excessively slimy mass into his hands and pulled, quickly feeling the resisting tug of the cords attached. Wordlessly, the knife was placed into his waiting hand and with concentrating eyes he sliced away the attachments. The organs simultaneously made suctioning sounds as they were pulled into the outside world and placed with the pile of intestines.

"What was all that?" He finally asked.

"That was her stomach, liver, kidneys, and all that other crap." He gestured towards the empty abdominal cavity. "Nice cuttin', no hesitation either. Maybe you'll survive out here after all Chinaman."

Glenn rolled his eyes. "Uh thanks? And will you stop calling me that? I'm Korean."

The Dixon brother shook his head and popped his neck loudly. "Nah, I think Chinaman sounds better than Chopsticks."

When the kid was about to make a remark, he was waved off. "C'mon pizza boy, you still got the diaphragm to cut through. Then ya gotta cut out the heart, lungs, and th' windpipe."

He was met with a confused Glenn. "Why the windpipe?"

"Because it's thick and in the way of th' good stuff, now git over here and finish the job."

The young Asian didn't say anything else and instead took the bloody knife and began cutting into the chest cavity, faintly remembering his Anatomy classes back in high school. Daryl's piercing blue eyes watched the kid's every move, prepared to backhand him if he screwed up. After about three minutes the diaphragm was shredded and pulled away to reveal two deflated lungs and one motionless heart.

"Sorry girl, don't think you'll be needin' these anymore." Glenn stated as he reached in and dragged out the lungs and attached heart. It took a bit longer to cut out the connected organs, due to the much thicker cords that held them to the ribs and muscles.

He flinched once when a spurt of darkening blood spat onto his cheek, but other than that the kid was unfazed. Even the loud, slurping and gurgling noises the organs made as he pulled them farther and farther didn't seem to bother him. Finally, with one last cut, the lungs and heart came free and were dumped onto the gut pile with the others.

**END GRAPHIC CONTENT.**

"Well that's the last of it. Right Daryl?" He asked while wiping his forehead on the sleeve of his T-shirt.

"Yep." The blonde drawled as he clapped a bloody hand onto the Korean's shoulder. "Now we jus' hafta skin it an' cook the meat." He took back his knife and returned it to the sheath attached to his pants. "Maybe I'll use th' skin to make a warm coat or somethin'. I'd bet my dinner th' women'll go batshit crazy over wantin' to make boots or some shit like that with it."

Glenn laughed and agreed with the redneck. The pile of guts caught his eye and he wondered what they'd do with a bunch of rotten innards.

"Uh, what are we going to do with all this….stuff?"

Just as Daryl opened his mouth, Carl's voice rang out from the direction of the house, making both men turn to see the boy jogging over.

"Hey! Are you guys cutting it open?" He asked with that innocent curiosity.

Daryl narrowed his eyes and pointed towards the house, "Git yer ass in th' house boy. This ain't somethin' for children t' see."

The young boy stopped about five yards away, but his frustrated pout could still be seen. "Aw c'mon guys! I'm not just some little kid!"

He looked to Glenn for help since it was obvious he wasn't going to get it from Daryl. The former pizza boy shrugged his shoulders helplessly. "Sorry kiddo, I really don't think your mom would appreciate us showin' you this stuff."

The poor kid looked like he was about to get on his hands and knees begging. "My mom doesn't have to know! Please? I'll do anything! I just wanna hang out with you guys and do something cool!"

The two men exchanged glances and when the kid turned to leave, Daryl told him to stay right where he was. The blonde tried to think of something the kid could do that wouldn't leave him with Lori bitchin' in his ear. Suddenly a wicked idea came to him and the more he thought about it, the more it seemed so perfect that even Lori Grimes would be laughin' her ass off.

Glenn was surprised when Daryl called the boy over, and even more surprised by how fascinated Carl was with the gutted deer and pile of innards rotting in the sun.

"Ok kid, you wanna do something cool?" Carl nodded his head eagerly, the sheriff's hat tipping over his eyes. "Alright, all ya gotta do is two things. First, ya gotta go into th' house and ask Hershel for a bucket and trash bag."

Glenn watched as the kid's eyes got wide with excitement. "But, what if he asks why I need 'em?"

Daryl tipped the hat up higher on Carl's head. "Aw hell, yer smart. Tell him the truth if ya want, but if yer mom's nearby just make somethin' up."

Carl nodded his head and waited for the second job.

"After ya bring us the bucket, go and find Andrea. Tell 'er you have a surprise for her an' she has to follow you with her eyes closed." Glenn couldn't help but smirk at the man's plan.

"When you bring her out here, have her hold out her hands s' you can give 'er the surprise."

Carl nodded his head, saluted them, and shot off like a rocket for the house. They both grinned, but Daryl couldn't ignore the sharp pang he'd felt when the kid had saluted to them. It reminded him way too much of Sophia, which would only sour his mood if he continued to think about how she was _still_ out there. Alone.

"Dude, where did you come up with this prank?" Glenn asked animatedly.

The younger Dixon snorted, "Andrea may be one tough blonde, but she can be such a woman sometimes. 'Specially with guts an' all that shit."

He didn't bother to explain how the idea spawned from back when Sophia first disappeared and he and Andrea had gone out in the middle of the night to search for her. They found some poor idiot who'd hung himself in a tree, turning him but leaving himself as one big piñata. He'd only been observing out loud how other Geeks had eaten off all the flesh on his legs, but she puked a bit anyway. He told her it was payback for laughing about his itchy ass, but this was extended payback.

Glenn held up his hands and looked at them. "Should we wash this off?" He asked.

The blonde glanced at his own, blood-caked hands and shrugged. "Not now. Gonna git mine dirty soon as that kid comes back with Blondie." When Glenn didn't seem to understand, he gestured towards the gut pile and the kid instantly understood.

Carl's heart thumped in his chest as he ran up the porch steps and into the house. His sudden entrance startled Maggie and Patricia, who were prepping the table for dinner.

"Whoa! Hold yer horses little man. What's got you so riled up?" Patricia questioned while Maggie went back to cleaning the table.

"I'm lookin' for Hershel, you seen him?"

Patricia looked a bit puzzled. "He's upstairs at the moment. Why? Is somethin' wrong?"

He shook his head, "Nope. Thanks Tricia!" Rick's son sped off for the stairs, leaving Maggie and Patricia a bit dazed.

Carl stomped up the stairs like a 5-year old, calling out for Hershel repeatedly. A few moments later, the older man stepped out of a nearby door and looked down at the boy with a slightly irritated expression.

"What is it son?" He asked while staring down his reading glasses.

Carl adjusted his hat. "I came to ask if Glenn and Daryl could borrow a bucket and trash bag."

Hershel stood silent for a moment, eyeing the boy suspiciously. "They need it for the deer guts. They didn't wanna come ask themselves cuz they got blood on 'em."

The older man sighed, took off his readers and gestured for the boy to follow him. They entered the kitchen and he asked Maggie to hand him a trash bag. She glanced at Patricia with confusion but handed him the black bag anyway. Hershel handed the bag to Carl and they walked outside and around the house where quite a few buckets were stashed.

"Be sure they clean the bucket and bring it back as soon as they're done alright?"

Carl nodded and took the bucket before sprinting back over to where Daryl and Glenn were standing.

"Good job squirt, now go git Andrea and remember what I told ya."

He nodded and decided to check the R.V first, confident Dale would know where to find her.

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><p><strong> So? Was it worth the wait? I sure hope so!<strong>

** Leave a review or at least a fav to boost my motivation so that I can write faster (and do better on my finals.) xD**


	5. Chapter 5

**It's here at long last! The next chapter in Daryl's adventures! I know you guys have been dying for this chapter and here it is! I really hope you guys enjoy it! Oh and do not worry, there is no DarylxCarol pairing in this fic. They are simply two beaten and abused souls drawn together to heal each other. C:**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing of the Walking Dead.**

* * *

><p>Dale was a simple man, at least that was his opinion of himself. He'd been called somewhat philosophical too, but he wasn't one to acknowledge what others thought was inspiring, at least about himself anyway.<p>

Before, Dale was guardian to Amy and Andrea. They saved him from despair after his wonderful wife lost her fight with cancer. Now, Amy was dead and Andrea was trying to find closure for her sister's death. He still watched Andrea carefully, still worried she might one day choose to "opt out" as Daryl had once said.

He sat in an old lawn chair perched on the roof of the Winnebago, fiddling with his watch absently while keeping watch for any Walkers.

"Dale?" A boyish voice called. "Hey Dale, do you know where Andrea is?"

The elderly man leaned over and peered down at Rick's son, who was panting and shifting from foot to foot impatiently.

"Well, last I saw her she was going out on patrol with Shane."

Dale stopped himself from spitting the man's name, knowing that the boy still looked up to Shane in a way.

"Well...do you know when they'll be back? I really need to show her somethin'." Carl asked, energy and anticipation coursing through his 12-year old body.

The scruffy man looked at his watch, then the sun, and back to Carl. "Well they left about an hour ago, so they should be back already."

Panic got him out of his chair and prepared to climb down to alert Rick, when the distant roar of a pickup was heard. With a quick thanks, Carl sped off towards the approaching truck, kicking up dust as he went.

Shaking his head, Dale grabbed the binoculars and watched Shane roughly park the truck and step out, giving Carl a high-five before striding up the porch steps. He shook his head again and eased back into the lawn chair, dropped the binoculars in his lap and fingered his rifle.

"Andrea! Hey!"

The blonde woman stopped on the first step and put a hand on her hip, smiling at the boy.

"Hey bud, what's up?"

Carl smiled, "I just wanted to show you something real quick."

Andrea quirked an eyebrow. "Right now? It's almost dinner time y'know."

The boy grabbed her wrist and tugged her off the step. "Yes now! It won't take long! I promise!"

Reluctantly, Andrea let herself be dragged around the house, but before they rounded the corner, Carl stopped and told her to close her eyes.

"Excuse me?"

"Aw c'mon Andrea!" He whined, "Please? It'll only be for a minute."

She thought about it, only a tad bit suspicious, but eventually gave in. She closed her eyes tight and swore on Girl Scout's honor she wouldn't peek.

Carl, finally satisfied she wouldn't look, grabbed her larger hand and half walked, half dragged Andrea around the back of the house. He grinned when he spotted Daryl and Glenn standing where he'd left them.

Gripping his hand tighter, the blonde followed the boy's every step. She was never good at trusting someone to lead her in the right direction, physically or metaphorically. As a child, trust exercises were her nightmare. On the random days the teacher or a coach wanted to hold "class/team bonding" time, the first exercise was the trust fall. Andrea always caught whomever she was entrusted to catch, but when it came her turn it was different. No matter how many times they reassured her, she could never make herself fall completely backwards and into the arms of her trustee.

As Carl and Andrea got closer, Glenn stopped talking idly with Daryl and prepared for a show. Daryl smirked at the Asian before stooping down and, without hesitation or grimace, scooping a small lump of rotten innards into his right hand. Glenn covered his mouth with one hand and pinched his nose with the other, keeping himself from laughing or snorting.

"Are we there yet Carl? I thought you said this would be quick?" Andrea queried.

"Don't worry," Carl replied calmly, "We're here."

The two stopped and no one moved for a few seconds. After the pause, Carl slowly approached Daryl and grinned like a cat. The Dixon transferred the slimy mess into the 12-year-old's hands and grinned back. With a nod, Carl turned to Andrea and stopped.

"Ok Andrea, are you ready?"

She put a hand on her hip and turned her head in the boy's direction. "Yep. Hit me."

Glenn and Daryl bit back snickers at the remark, knowing what Carl had would really hit her good.

Carl held his grin, "Ok just hold out both your hands. Don't worry it's nothin' gross like a bug or anything."

Andrea's brow furrowed in suspicion and she hesitated.

"C'mon Andrea! Trust me!"

The plea worked and the older blonde reluctantly held out both hands together, praying that the kid wasn't lying.

Glancing at Glenn and Daryl, Carl plopped the disgusting "surprise" into Andrea's hands.

With a loud shriek the blonde popped open her eyes, saw the "surprise" and dropped it like a hot coal.

Carl, Glenn, and Daryl burst out laughing. Holding their stomachs and gasping for air while Andrea stood shell-shocked. The effect quickly wore off and anger flooded her body, changing her face from tan to bright cherry red.

"You ASSHOLES!" She began, clenching her bloodied palms tightly. "WHAT THE **HELL** IS YOUR PROBLEM?!"

Daryl was the first to speak, the other two still unable to stop laughing. He smirked with such mirth that Andrea's blood began to boil.

"Don't get yer panties in a twist Barbie, it was just a prank."

Andrea gritted her teeth at the nickname, hating the name ever since she was little.

"A **_PRANK_**?! You think this is FUNNY?!" She fumed. The blonde pointed accusingly at Daryl, who stood completely unfazed. "Lori was right when she said you were a bad influence!"

Despite the chord it struck, Daryl forced himself to chuckle and say, "Since when do you agree with Olive Oil?"

Andrea stomped over and attempted to give the blonde redneck a good punch to the face, but she was thwarted as he easily caught her wrist in his big paw.

"Let me go!" She spat angrily.

He stopped smirking and turned serious for a moment. "First lesson of a fight: only start one if you know you're gonna win."

He pulled her closer and spoke in a lower voice, "And don't you _ever_ compare me to what that bitch thinks of me."

Andrea yanked her wrist away and glared at the redneck before stomping off towards the house. Glenn and Carl finally caught their breath and stood wiping tears from their eyes as the trio watched the blonde storm off. After only a few strides she turned, locked her smoldering blue eyes onto Daryl's, and promptly gave him the finger. Turning again she stalked off around the corner of the house and was gone.

Carl stared after Andrea, confused, and turned to the two older men. "What did that mean?"

Glenn answered first. "It's called flipping the bird or flipping someone off."

The boy thought about this a moment. "Ok but, what does it mean?"

"Fuck you," replied Daryl.

"Oh."

A light tinging noise drifted from the house, signaling dinner was ready.

Carl glanced at Glenn and Daryl before tromping back to the house, the two in his tracks. As they got closer, Glenn put a hand on the kid's shoulder.

"Hey don't sweat it, Andrea didn't mean that for you. You know she cares about you," he said. "We all do. She meant that for me and Mr. Asshat over there."

Daryl snorted, "Glenn's right. Don't take it ta heart kid."

Carl looked up at the two of them on both sides before smiling happily. "That's good. I was afraid she hated me now."

Glenn and Daryl laughed at that, making Carl smile even more. The three rounded the house together and climbed up the steps quickly. Lori stood on the porch waiting and hugged her son before kissing his head and pushing him inside. She nodded to Glenn with a smile as he passed. Daryl nodded to her and started inside, but Lori held his arm back.

"Stay out here a second. I need to talk to you."

The blonde sighed and stepped back onto the porch, stuffing his hands in his pockets and waiting. Lori moved away from the door and over to the railing of the porch before speaking.

"Look Daryl, I know you and I haven't really seen eye to eye but..." She trailed off and he looked at her expectantly. "What I'm saying is that I've wronged you more than you've wronged me."

Daryl blinked in surprise, but kept his expression passive.

"I...I told Andrea one day that I thought you were a bad influence on Carl. I'm sorry about that. I was just...stressed out and took it out on you."

Lori looked out over the farm, into the trees, and sighed. Daryl was confused and a bit uncomfortable. He wasn't used to anyone apologizing to him, especially a woman. He ran threw his mind what to say, but as always with "feely talk" as Merle called it, Daryl was at a loss.

"I'm glad Carl's taken a liking to you," she stated. "I used to think between Rick and Shane he would learn all he needed to know about defending himself or...surviving I guess. But with the world the way it is now, I know that only you can do that."

The Dixon brother shifted his hands out of his pockets and crossed his arms. He studied Lori for a moment and thought about what she was saying.

"What are you gettin' at Olive Oil? That you want me ta teach your boy to fight?"

She sighed and wrung her hands. "Yes. Shane is...changing and I don't know what's wrong with him lately." Lori stopped a moment, then continued, "Rick is fine but he's so worried about others in the group and the farm and finding Sophia that he just doesn't have the time."

"Then he needs to make th' time," Daryl replied.

Lori looked even more stressed than before. "He can't Daryl! He's so stressed as it is! Especially now that I'm pregnant..."

Rubbing his eyes, Daryl groaned, "Fine. you want me to teach him to shoot? Hunt? Kill?"

"Just teach him how to shoot and fight. Maybe when he's got those down you can show him how to hunt but..."

He waved her off, "Yeah I know. No killin'." Daryl saw her pained expression and added, "Don't think he'll hafta know how anyways. Seein' as he's got us."

Lori nodded and pulled back her hair. "Thank you Daryl. I appreciate it." She wiped her hands on her jeans before stepping inside.

The smell of fresh cooked food almost made the redneck drool. Opening the door he was greeted by more delicious scents drifting from the dining room. He could hear voices, but he didn't hear any silverware scratching against plates as the group began to eat. Curious and hungry, Daryl walked through the small foyer and the voices quieted. Slowly, the blonde came to the dining room and stopped in surprise.

The table was loaded with steaming food, the hot air drifting from each dish to the ceiling and into the other rooms. There was a bowl of fresh green beans, mashed potatoes, carrots, and even some biscuits and rolls. Butter and jelly were set neatly beside a serving knife, and on the other side was a small cup of gravy. In the center sat the deer he'd caught earlier, perfectly cooked and steaming. Looking around he noticed everyone's plate was empty, the silverware untouched.

Everyone looked back at him with smiles of gratitude and friendship, although Andrea still looked pissed and Shane...well Shane looked like he always did.

"We were waiting for you," Rick said.

"Yeah, can't start without you," Glenn followed, Maggie nodding in agreement.

Carol patted the empty chair next to her and smiled. "C'mon Daryl. You're apart of this group too."

Daryl felt a shard of guilt bury deeper in his chest at seeing the empty chair._ 'That should be Sophia. Not me.'_

The blonde made his way around the crowded table and sat beside Carol, who patted his arm and smiled again.

"We need to pray first," Maggie spoke up. She looked at her father, "It's what mom used to do every meal."

Nodding, everyone joined hands. Daryl hesitated, but Carol gently took his right while Beth took his left. He hadn't prayed at a meal since he could hardly remember. His momma was the one who taught him his prayers as a kid, always saying to thank God for each meal, each blessing he gave them. For awhile, even his old man and Merle would pray with him and his momma at meals, but after some years old man Dixon got drunker and shittier and Merle got older and colder. Still, Daryl remembered her praying with his small hand in hers, her head bowed and her voice as soft as a lamb's.

Bowing his head, Daryl waited, but when no one said a word he looked up. Again, everyone was looking at him expectantly, as if waiting for something.

"Go on son," Hershel urged.

Surprised, Daryl began to scramble in his mind for something to say, some excuse that he couldn't, _shouldn't_, be the one to thank the Lord for their meal. Carol gently squeezed his hand reassuringly and it reminded him of the prayer his momma loved the most.

Clearing his throat uncertainly, Daryl began the prayer.

"Bless us O Lord an' give us thy gifts, which we are about to receive from thy bounty through Christ our Lord...Amen."

Everyone released hands and started dishing out the food.

"That was a damn good prayer Daryl," T-Dog praised as he grabbed the bowl of potatoes.

Hershel cleared his throat at the swear. "That was a good job son. Thank you."

Daryl nodded at the old man before reaching for a biscuit. Before anyone had a chance to try and cut themselves a slice of meat, Rick stood and called for silence.

"Now I know this isn't a holiday dinner or anything but...Well, I think Daryl should cut the meat." His eyes met Daryl's, reflecting genuine appreciation.

Daryl was silent for a moment, unsure of what to say or do. Carol nodded her head at Rick and said, "I think that's a great idea Rick. Daryl caught this deer for us and we never asked him to."

She nudged the blonde until he grunted and stood. "Don't know why yer pesterin' me woman. We needed food an' squirrels ain't gonna feed everyone."

Rick made his way over to Daryl and handed him the carving knife. The Dixon brother hovered the knife over the deer for a moment, glanced around at the faces, and started cutting. He cut Lori a piece first, then Carl and Rick. As he served the meat, the number of praises and thank-you's he received mounted. He tried to think of a single time in his life before all this when he'd been thanked so many times in one day. The blonde felt a tug on his cracked lips when he couldn't think of a single one.

"Here woman. You need to put some meat on them bones."

Carol eyed the plate of meat with surprise, "I can't eat all this Daryl. You and the others need it more than me."

Daryl sat in his seat with his smaller portion and began piling potatoes beside the meat. "I ain't askin' you to eat it all. I'm tellin' ya to." He gave her a pointed look before offering her the potatoes.

"Just two scoops please," she answered. "Look Daryl, you, Shane, Rick, T-Dog - everyone here needs this meat. I don't need it. Really I - "

She stopped when his eyes narrowed dangerously, his hands slowly putting the bowl in the center of the table.

"And why not? Do you think yer gonna be able to protect yourself with them stick arms?"

Carol was confused at what he meant. She knew that in this awful world, self-defense was number one next to owning and using a weapon. She'd been wanting to ask Daryl if he could at least show her how to use a knife or fight, but with Sophia still missing the blonde was spending as much time as he could trying to locate the lost girl.

She grabbed a roll and began buttering it, "No, but -"

"Tomorrow. First thing in th' mornin'. I'm teachin' ya how to defend yourself. Then I'm goin' out in those damn woods and bringin' back your lil' girl."

The mother was shocked and couldn't speak for a moment. When she found her voice he waved her off, signaling the decision was final. Shaking her head and smiling, Carol filled her plate and dug in, relishing this short time of peace and happiness. A pang hit her when she reminded herself that Sophia was still out there, alone, hungry, and scared. Stealing a glance at Daryl, Carol reassured herself that he would find her daughter and continued to eat.

* * *

><p>Hungry. Hungry and scared.<p>

Those were the two things that dominated the young girl's mind as she sat shivering in the tree. Her blue shirt was ripped on the edges and filthy, the dirt and mud-splotched khaki capris faring no better. Leaves, stray cobweb strands, and dirt caked her short hair.

_'Momma's gonna kill me.'_

She rubbed her arms, trying to warm the pale, scratch-ridden flesh. She kept her lower lip slightly pouted, due to a drying bloody split on the delicate skin. Her small body shivered against the cold breeze, her teeth chattering loudly in her head.

_'I wish Daryl was here. Then at least I'd be safe...'_

The young girl had been spending the past chilling nights in the trees, knowing that the Geeks could neither reach nor spot her, especially in the dark. The trick was to keep silent and not fall off while sleeping. The first wasn't too hard, but the second was tricky. She had to maneuver her body between branches so that even if she leaned either way, her body wouldn't tumble onto the ground and possibly onto a hungry Walker.

She clutched something in her right palm tightly, looking at it every now and then and smiling. It was a small blade, unsheathed and bloody. Her small fingers traced the edges carefully, etching the designed hilt and returning to the blade's tip. Looking up, the young girl clutched the knife closer and closed her eyes, drifting off into a light slumber.

* * *

><p>The sun was just peeking over the horizon when Daryl Dixon knocked on Carol's bedroom door. The sleeping woman opened her eyes groggily, yawned, and muttered a mumbled, "Just a minute."<p>

Throwing on her long sweater, Carol opened the door and blinked in surprise at seeing the younger Dixon at her door. "Daryl?" She whispered so as not to disturb the others. "What's wrong? Has something happened?"

The blonde quirked a thin eyebrow at the woman. "Not unless wakin' up at the crack a' dawn is a crime."

Carol then noticed Daryl was fully dressed. He wore a dull, navy blue long sleeve button-up, his brother's leather vest overlaying it. His dark, worn jeans matched along with the scuffed boots, which finished the ensemble. The redneck's beloved crossbow was strapped across his chest and hung fittingly on his back.

"Well why are you waking me up at dawn?" He rolled his blue eyes and replied gruffly, "Because I'm teachin' ya to fight woman."

After going through her memory of the evening before, Carol snapped to attention and hurried to get dressed.

"Don't put no fancy clothes on. Jus' some jeans and a shirt. I already got ya a jacket."

Carol hurriedly got dressed and met the blonde outside, who was waiting on the steps of the porch with a blade in his hand. With a simple jerk of his head, Daryl led the woman through the morning fog to a small grove of saplings away from the house, but just in sight. The fog was damp and made Carol's jeans stick to her thighs, making her uncomfortable. Daryl didn't seem at all bothered by the mist, ignoring the dampness sticking to his clothes and straggly hair.

"Alright, have you ever held a knife before?" He began as he twirled the knife.

Carol gave him an exasperated look, "Of course I have! I use one everyday, or at least I did. I made Sophia's lunch - "

"Not a damn butter knife!" He growled. "I mean an actual blade. Y'know, swiss army knife or somethin'."

She shook her head. "No, I grew up around pacifists." She gave him a strange look, "Ironic huh?"

The redneck sighed and shook his head before getting closer and holding out the blade. "Take it. I have my own. I'll show ya how to hold it first, then different ways of cuttin' an' stabbin'."

The two spent 30 minutes on how to properly wield a knife before taking a quick break. Daryl got to telling Carol how he'd first learned to use a hunting knife. Afterwards he showed her how to stab an object properly.

"He's a good man."

Shane turned to see Lori quietly close the front door before standing beside him.

"I don't know Lori, I mean yeah he caught that damn deer for dinner but..." He watched Carol successfully stab the marked feed bag filled with leaves. "I still don't trust him. Especially around Carl."

Lori set her jaw and turned her hard eyes on the former deputy. "Why the hell not Shane? He's been hunting for us since the day he and Merle joined us at the quarry. We never asked him to do it, he just went out and brought back some squirrels and rabbits if he could."

She looked out at the duo by the trees again. "He may be vulgar and temperamental sometimes but that's just how he is. I accepted that yesterday and you need to as well."

Shane struggled to think of something to say, but his brain couldn't think of any viable accusation of the redneck. "Well what about-"

"Dammit Shane just give it up! That man has been searching every day for Carol's daughter._ Every day_. You gave up on her days ago." Lori glared at Shane's bowed head angrily.

"Would you have done the same if it had been Carl? Would you have just given up on my son?"

The man did not reply and she took that as her answer. Fuming, the dark-haired mother headed back inside and slammed the screen door behind her.

The next day, Daryl, T-Dog, and Rick looked over a map of the area, looking for key points to patrol for not only walkers, but Sophia as well.

"I'll check up on this ridge here, take a horse on up there an' see if I can spot 'er."

Rick and T-Dog nodded in agreement. "Sounds like a plan man," T-Dog replied.

"Yeah, but you're gonna have to ask Hershel about that horse." Rick looked back at the house, "I'm not sure if he'll be too willing to lend one of his horses to strangers."

T-Dog shrugged before Daryl could speak. "We shouldn't be too stranger-like to them now. I don't see a reason why he can't trust us with a horse."

Jimmy, a neighbor of Hershel's, stood awkwardly in the background. He'd volunteered to go out with this group on patrols for Walkers. He hadn't gotten to take any out yet, and his hands were itching to do more than just the usual farm stuff, pretending the world hadn't gone to hell.

The trio had finished the small debate and grabbed their weapons. Jimmy spotted a shotgun on the crate and reached for it. Rick grabbed the gun before the teen could take it.

"Whoa, hold up." Rick started, "You ever handle one before?"

Jimmy shrugged, "No, but if I'm goin' out I want one."

"Yeah, and people in hell want slurpees."

Daryl hitched his crossbow over his shoulder and walked off, leaving Rick, T-Dog, and Jimmy to go on patrol.

* * *

><p>"Stubborn old fart."<p>

After relaying his plan to Hershel, Daryl had fought to keep somewhat civil as he and the old man went back and forth, before Hershel finally relented.

"If I see a single scratch on one of my horses, you can bet you're gonna know about it."

Daryl brushed off the threat, which was mild at best, and strode over to the stables. He could feel his anxiety rising, his excitement at going out again to look for Sophia climbing. He never even tried to think that she was gone, never to be seen or heard from again. Didn't even let the thought that she had been bit and was now one of the walking dead enter his mind. The younger Dixon was determined to go through hell and back to bring Carol's daughter back _alive_.

"Hmm, Nelly. I guess you'll do." He stated as he grabbed the bridle, saddle, and the rest of the riding gear hanging on the stable wall.

The horse named Nelly was chestnut and a thoroughbred. Her mane was still glossy and she looked and sounded well fed. Daryl had to give it to Hershel, he definitely took pride in his horses. He understood now why the old man was so reluctant to allow a stranger to take one out in the woods.

Once he mounted Nelly's back, he settled himself into the saddle and grasped the reins, trying to remember that long forgotten day he'd gone horseback riding with his momma and Merle.

"A'right girl, c'mon," He said calmly, pressing his heels into Nelly's sides and sending her into a trot.

Nelly didn't seem nervous about this unfamiliar rider and continued at a smooth trot, happy to finally have someone on her back again. She nickered softly, sensing the excitement in the air around this strange man. She could smell the woods on him and she knew that she could trust him.

As he rode, Daryl couldn't help but glance over at the group's camp. He could smell the beginning of dinner and immediately saw Carol bending over the fire with Lori by her side. The women heard the horse moving through the grass and stopped to look, waving to Daryl and smiling hopefully. He nodded to them, catching Carol's eye one last time before turning his attention to the woods looming in the closing distance.

_'I'm comin' Sophia.'_

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><p><strong>So, was it worth the wait? Leave me a review and let me know! I really enjoyed writing this chapter and I can't wait to start the next. :D<strong>

**~Paperhearts**


	6. Chapter 6

**Helloooooo~!**

**At last! After many, many months, the next chapter is here! What awaits our favorite redneck next? Scroll down and find out!**

**Also, I'd just like to announce that yesterday I began my first ever job! :D It was amazing! And I go back tomorrow! ^-^**

***Note: It has been addressed to me on several accounts that Daryl is not blonde, and in fact a brunette. I am indeed aware of this fact, but seeing as I began this fic dubbing him a 'blonde,' he shall remain a blonde to the end.**

** Second: This is not a Caryl fic. I do not ship them. I consider them good friends. :)**

* * *

><p>It was hot and dry as Sophia crept through the forest. She walked slowly, treading lightly and avoiding twigs and pebbles, clutching her ragged doll in one hand. She tried to remember the five-minute lesson Daryl had given her on muffling her footsteps.<p>

She stopped to scratch her ankle which was covered in tiny red bumps, like mosquito bites. Her legs were exposed from the knee down and she had unknowingly walked into a poison ivy patch. Sophia told herself scratching would only make it worse, but the irritation was unbearable.

_SNAP!_

The girl froze mid-scratch, a feeling of dread creeping down her spine. The forest continued to move on, the birds and other critters seeming not to notice or care about the potential warning.

_'It could have been just a squirrel or a rabbit'_ Sophia told herself, slowly straightening herself and standing tall.

She listened carefully, straining her small ears for the slightest indication of danger. There was no other sound than the bird songs and squirrel chatter among the treetops. Still, Sophia continued to wait, knowing that she had no one to help her if she met a walker.

_'It must be gone...whatever it was.'_

Clutching her doll close once more, Sophia took a hesitant step forward, listening for anything suspicious. When she heard nothing but the forest, the red-headed girl continued forward, picking her way carefully among the brush, avoiding the green, star-shaped leaf bearing plants she now knew were poison ivy.

As she trudged along, Sophia found herself remembering the days before the dead came back to life. She remembered the day she won the talent contest at school. Next came the class field trip to Sea World. Sophia felt the dolphin's slick, wet skin underneath her hand for a moment and smiled.

Caught in her reverie, the little girl didn't notice the sudden hush of the forest. The birds had stopped singing and the squirrels were no longer bickering. Silence reigned, which meant death was nearby.

Unawares, Sophia continued on through the brush and stopped at a small creek. The gurgling water instantly reminded the girl of how thirsty she was. It had been at least two days since she'd gotten separated from the adults. Hurriedly, the red-head picked her way down the stones, tucking her doll under her armpit.

_'I hope it's cold'_ She thought as she sat on her knees on the creek bed. Slowly, Sophia cupped her hands and dipped them into the slow-moving water. The cooling touch of the water sent chills up her arms and she squeaked in surprise. She bent her head and brought the water to her lips, savoring the feel of coolness upon her face and throat.

After quenching her thirst, Sophia sat down and removed her filthy shoes and socks before dunking her feet into the cool water. She sighed with relief as the coolness rushed over her whole body. The water helped soothe her irritated legs and she couldn't help but smile grimly.

_'I can't remember the last time I had a shower. Since the CDC I guess.'_ Sophia sighed again, this time with a hint of sorrow._ 'It was so nice there. No walkers or bad people. Food, a place to sleep...'_ A tadpole swam around the girl's toes._ 'That scientist guy, Dr. Jenner, he was nice. Maybe he could have found a cure if...'_ Sophia closed her eyes and tried to forget the CDC, and Dr. Jenner and Jackie.

The red-headed girl began to debate whether or not she should take a bath in the creek. She knew she had to get off the ground at some point. The woods were crawling with the dead.

"I'll just wash my face. Can't be down here for too long," she decided.

While she washed her face, she was unaware of the rotting, lurching corpse behind her.

* * *

><p>Daryl plucked his arrow out of a tree and removed the impaled squirrel. While Nelly kept a smooth pace, the redneck tied the meal to his belt and reloaded the arrow. He still had no trace of Sophia's whereabouts, but he knew he would stay out there until he found that girl. Squirrel would be his only dinner tonight. Not cooked. Fires were a good way to signal a herd of walkers that dinner was served.<p>

Though his patience had been known to be short at times, it seemed the hellish world was changing that. He continued to tell himself that she wasn't dead. She was in a tree or some hole or something. Anywhere that wasn't in reach or notice of a walker. Nelly didn't seem to mind the hours of searching, since she and the others had been locked within the barn since the outbreak.

"Sophia!" Daryl called out.

Only birds and cicadas answered.

"Dammit!" He growled before starting to bite his thumbnail. It was a nervous habit.

_'She can't have gone far.'_ He repeated silently. It was becoming a mantra._ 'She can't have gone far. She ain't dead. She's alive and I'll be damned if I don't find her.'_

Nelly picked up on Daryl's anger and nickered nervously, still walking along but somewhat aimlessly now.

"S'okay girl. We'll find her."

An hour passed and Daryl finally found a trace of Sophia. It wasn't much - a piece of blue cloth with blood on it - but it was something. A full smile spread across the redneck's face as he stared at the clue. The smile quickly twisted to a determined frown as he closed his fists tightly around the cloth. He looked up and said, "Yo J.C. If you're still there, do me a favor. You keep that girl safe."

The blonde mounted the horse and continued onward. He noticed some disturbed leaf beds and bushes with patches of missing leaves. A young girl running for her life could definitely do that. Daryl began to get anxious and sweat began to form on his brow. He swiped his wrist across his forehead and felt the friendship bracelet distinctly. He pulled Nelly to a stop and studied the bracelet.

_'This one's for you. I picked it out by the quarry one day. It matches your eyes, I think.'_

It had touched Daryl on the inside more than he let on about the bracelet. The stone she had picked out did indeed resemble his eyes. It had been odd at first, to hear that someone had noticed and remembered his eyes. They say one of the first things a person notices about someone else are their eyes. That wasn't the case with Daryl. Any woman he had attempted a relationship with - which none ever worked out - never said a word about his eyes. Not once.

_'That grizzle is sexy. I like a man with some face fuzz.'_

_'Ooooh...your arms are so damn sexy babe. Mhm. They must be a favorite with the ladies huh big guy?'_

Sophia was not the first to ever notice his eyes though. Daryl's momma noticed and she loved them. She claimed to know by her baby boy's eyes that he would do good in the world one day.

_'No matter what you do, someone's gonna doubt you,' She'd once said. 'But I betcha once they get a look at those eyes of yours they're gonna know you're a good man.'_

Daryl dropped his wrist and studied the sun's position.

_'Been out here half a day already. Gotta find 'er before dark,'_ he thought.

Suddenly Nelly reared up, eyes rolling and flashing white with fear.

"Whoa girl, calm down."

Nelly placed her forelegs onto the ground for a moment before rearing again.

"Agh! Calm down! What's th' matter with you?!"

The frightened horse reared two more times before Daryl slipped out of the saddle and began rolling down a steep ridge. He never noticed the coiled snake hissing at his steed. Fallen branches and rocks scratched Daryl's skin as he continued to roll downhill. He grunted when he felt a sudden sharp pain in his side, almost as if he had been stabbed. The ground suddenly changed from rough to smooth as Daryl began sliding across slick rocks. He opened his eyes only to see the water he was about to slide into.

When he hit the water, Daryl was smacked with a wave of pain emanating from his left side. The cold water stung his side, but otherwise felt incredibly refreshing to the rest of his body. As he broke the surface, the soaked redneck realized his crossbow had slipped off his shoulder while he was sliding into the water.

"Son of a bitch!" He cursed as he felt with his boot along the bottom. "Shit! Damn horse. Ought to cook it up for dinner."

When he felt nothing, Daryl growled before spotting a long branch poking out of the water near the bank. Grabbing it, he began poking it along the bottom of the pond, muttering hotly under his breath.

"If I lost it I'm gonna -" He was cut off when he hit something. After poking the object a second time, Daryl ducked under the surface to retrieve it. After a few seconds, he broke the surface, his beloved crossbow clutched in his hand.

_'That was close. Would'a been pissed beyond hell if I'd lost it.'_ He thought as he climbed out of the water. _'Would've had to use a damn gun. Not gonna work if I'm huntin' for everybody.'_

Once he'd gotten out of the water, Daryl also realized his only squirrel had been lost as well. The blonde cursed colorfully before shaking his dripping hair. Suddenly, the sharp pain returned and stung something awful, causing Daryl to lean over in pain.

"What-what the hell?" He gasped, before examining his left side. An arrow was dug into his side, the blood soaking his checkered button-up. Daryl hissed in frustration and pain as he slightly pushed the arrow, resulting in even more pain.

_'Great, just fuckin' great. Now I'm injured and I've got no horse or food.'_

As the bleeding continued, Daryl realized he would need something to staunch the bleeding and keep the arrow from moving around. "Gonna need to make a tourniquet," he said. "Reminds me of the old days."

He stopped himself from digging up the past and set to work cutting the sleeves off the long sleeve button-up he wore. He tied the sleeves together in a tight knot before wrapping them around the embedded arrow. Daryl winced a few times, but otherwise it was like he was simply slapping on a band-aid. In a few minutes it was done and he began studying his surroundings.

He could see up the steep ridge he'd rolled down, which stretched a good ways in the direction he'd come and the way he'd been heading. However, the bank he rested on wasn't as steep and held a few small saplings to grab onto.

_'If I can get ahold of those trees, I can pull myself up.'_ The blonde studied the terrain thoroughly_, 'No, there's an empty patch there at the base. I'm gonna need a branch for suppor-'_

His thoughts were cut off by a loud shriek. A shriek Daryl knew belonged to only one girl.

"SOPHIA!"

* * *

><p>The red-headed girl pulled on her socks and shoes before standing. Her skin felt five degrees cooler after the break, and she was ready to head out. Sophia grabbed her doll and turned to leave and almost ran into the approaching walker. She let out a piercing shriek of surprise and fear, dropping her precious doll in the mud. The corpse snarled hungrily at her as it lurched towards her, its twisted and gnarled fingers reaching.<p>

"GET AWAY FROM ME!" Sophia screamed before sprinting to the left and climbing up the small incline.

The walker hissed and followed after her, its speed faster than most walkers. Sophia kept running, tears of fear streaming down her cheeks. Every so often she would check behind her for the walker. It kept up for a good bit, before it stumbled over a fallen log and face planted the ground. The girl took her chance and pushed herself forward to gain more distance between herself and the walker.

_'There will be more soon. My scream probably attracted all the nearest walkers. Just great Sophia.'_

As she turned a corner, Sophia bumped into another walker, falling flat on her bum. The walker stumbled, but didn't topple over. Instead, it bared its rotten teeth and limped towards her. Forcing herself not to scream, Sophia scooted herself backwards and up against the base of a tree. Growling, the walker lunged for the girl, but Sophia was quicker. She dodged the attack, and in a flurry of panic and desperation, stabbed the walker in the back of the head. Instantly the corpse went limp and slid to the ground, while Sophia simply stared at it.

_'That's the second walker I've taken down on my own!'_ The red-head thought excitedly, _'I can defend myself! I'm not weak anymore!'_

While Sophia inwardly celebrated her victory, the previous walker she had lost was lumbering nearby. It shuffled through a patch of dead leaves, quickly alerting the young girl she was still in danger. Moving quietly, Sophia crept away in the opposite direction, hoping the other walker would not detect her. It was hard for the 12-year old to keep quiet and stealthy, since the adrenaline from her recent encounter was still running through her veins.

_'Is this what it feels like when the adults kill a walker?'_ She wondered.

After some time of creeping along, Sophia began to relax, since she hadn't run into anymore walkers on her way. She thought it was odd that there were not more walkers around, especially since she had screamed so loud, but perhaps she had been quick and lucky enough to out-distance them.

_'Momma always did say I was a good runner. Told me I could be on the track team when I started sixth grade next year,'_ she remembered._ 'I guess I'll just be my own track team. Maybe Carl will want to be on my team...I wonder if he's a good runner...?'_

Her wandering thoughts were broken by a shout. The young girl stopped to listen, as did the forest, it seemed, for the forest had gone completely silent. She strained her ears, but the sound did not return.

_'That's weird, I could have swore I heard someone...'_

Walking again, Sophia began to think about before the walkers. She remembered old Christmas's and birthday parties. One in particular, was the Christmas of her seventh birthday. Her momma had surprised her with the very Molly rag doll she had been begging for all year. It was the best Christmas gift she had ever gotten; even better than her bicycle she'd gotten last year. Her hands closed around herself as if she were hugging the doll to her, but there was nothing in her arms.

_'What?!'_

She looked around on the ground and behind her, but her doll was nowhere in site. Sophia retraced her thoughts back to the creek where she'd run from the walker.

_'I must have dropped it!'_

"No, no, no, no!" She whispered as tears gathered in her eyes and began streaking down her cheeks. It was all she had left besides her momma and their clothes from their life before the walkers, and now it was gone. Sophia fell to her knees and cried into her hands, dropping the bloody knife onto the ground without a care. Minutes went by as she poured out all the fear and despair she'd felt ever since she got separated from the group.

_'If I don't ever get found...I won't have anything to remember momma or our house or anything!'_ She thought tearfully as a new wave of lonely tears poured from her eyes.

A loud noise silenced her sobbing, her eyes searching fearfully for a walker or wild animal. She barely breathed as she listened intently for the strange noise.

"Sophia!"

Her ears caught the far off cry coming from her right, deeper into the forest. Sophia's tears left her eyes almost immediately as hope filled her chest. The cry repeated itself again, still far off and barely recognizable.

_'Someone...someone is looking for me!'_ She realized with hope,_ 'They are looking for me!'_

Hurriedly, Sophia grabbed her knife and kept it in her hand in case she met more walkers. She knew whoever was shouting was attracting walkers, so she had to hurry before they left. Wiping her eyes, the young girl ran through the brush, nearly avoiding another patch of poison ivy and a thorn bush.

_'Please hold on! Please don't leave!_' She repeated in her head, _'Please don't leave me here!'_

* * *

><p>After shouting Sophia's name, Daryl hobbled his way into the direction of the scream. The arrow in his side burned and the blood was sticking to his hands as he applied pressure. He grunted and winced in pain, but the image of Sophia being bitten kept him going.<p>

_'I've got to get to her! Damn body! Just gotta ignore the pain and get to that lil' girl...'_

After stumbling over roots and smacking through low branches for a good while, Daryl reached a small, gentle creek. No Sophia and no walker; Daryl looked around desperately, but the 12-year old was nowhere to be seen.

"Dammit!" He cursed as he limped to the water's edge and into the cooling water. The blonde looked up into the trees, hoping to see the little girl hiding in the branches. There was no Sophia in the trees, only squirrels and birds. Hanging his head, Daryl felt a wave of depression hit him - hard. Thoughts of Merle and how he would insult his younger brother filled his head.

_'You're just a failure, boy. You ain't gonna be nothin' great like momma used to say.'_

_'You can't even defend yourself baby brother! You a fuckin' pacifist or somethin'? I don't think I can teach a retard to fight.'_

_'What the hell you mean you can't swim? It's just movin' yer arms and legs, Darylina! Why, a damn dog can swim better than you!'_

Usually Daryl would push those memories to the back of his head, but now he didn't care. He was a failure, and his big brother had been right all along. He was nothing great or special like his momma had told him, he was just a failure and a nobody.

As the younger Dixon wallowed in despair, his sharp eyes caught sight of something odd-looking in the muddy creek bed. Like lightning, he crouched down and prodded the mysterious object. It was soft and dirty, but when he picked it up he recognized the rag doll instantly.

A spark of hope flared up in his chest. A rare smile spread across his face and for the first time in a long time, Daryl chuckled.

"Time to find your owner, Missy," he said before tucking the doll into his belt. The smile morphed into a determined scowl.

"SOPHIA!" He called again, tuning his ears for that girly voice. Nothing, but now that he'd found the doll, the blonde was determined to find Sophia, no matter what.

Along with the doll, Daryl also discovered footprints that led farther along the steep hill and the creek. Daryl followed the footprints, noting the torn branches and deep, sunken footprints.

_'Must'a been runnin' from a walker,_' he deduced. He clenched his free fist, while still applying pressure to his nearly staunched wound.

It had only been 20 minutes, but due to his injury and all that had happened, Daryl's body was reaching its limit. Panting, the younger Dixon paused to try and still his shaking legs. _'Body is tryin' to give out, but I won't let it,'_ he thought hardily._ 'I can pass out once we get back to the farm, but right now I gotta find Sophia.'_

Despite his gruff, his body needed a break. Somewhat complying, Daryl rested on a good-sized log above the shallow creek. Closing his eyes, the blonde took in all the sounds of the forest. There were robins, mockingbirds, blue jays, and woodpeckers above him and all around. Squirrels skittered to and fro, cackling and squeaking as they chased each other in the forest canopy. Cicadas chirped and rattled rhythmically, the gurgling of the creek melting all the noises together and creating a calming symphony.

As he listened, the tiny voice in his head urged him to eat. As if on cue, Daryl's eyes opened to the sound of his complaining stomach.

Daryl sighed, "Fine. I'll eat somethin'." The Dixon brother looked around the creek bed, but there were no edible berries or herbs anywhere. "Tst, should'a packed a lunch."

As the redneck was thinking, a foolish squirrel clambered down the trunk of a tree only a few feet away from Daryl. The low chatter of the squirrel and its noisy claws on the tree bark instantly alerted the blonde to a possible meal.

_'Last arrow's in my side, so...'_

Slowly, Daryl slid his deadly blade from its leather sheath. At the pace of a snail, the blonde positioned his muscled arm at the ready. After adjusting for distance and height, Daryl let it fly.

_THUNK_

A satisfied grin formed on the lips of the Dixon brother. A bullseye, knife point straight through the brain. The creature's body was pinned to the trunk, small streams of blood creeping between the bark.

Painfully aware of the arrow still in his side, Daryl slowly arose and retrieved his dinner. Once sitting on the log, the muscled redneck began the slow and important task of cutting open the squirrel without letting his knife touch the innards. He flew back to his early years of hunting and how to eat raw meat with no fire. The guts were 100% fine, as long as nothing from the outside touched the insides.

The first treat Daryl went for were the kidneys. Small, but full of protein and a lot of flavor. He glanced around during his break, listening for any sounds of walkers or Sophia. Again, only the symphony of the forest echoed through the woods. Briefly, Daryl returned his attention to his dinner, scooping out the stringy intestines next. Blood trickled down his grizzled chin and onto the log. While eating, the blonde began studying the nearest incline and planning his ascent.

He squinted at the small saplings clinging to the diagonal soil. _'I can use those trees to pull myself up, maybe find myself a branch as a cane...'_

It didn't take long for Daryl to finish his squirrel entrée. He licked his lips and tossed the gutless remains far into the bush. Next was to find a sturdy branch to support his weight on the ridge.

The arrow embedded in his side didn't move, but the tissue and muscle surrounding it were throbbing to the beat of his heart. The younger Dixon was known for his high pain tolerance, so it pissed him off that a little flesh wound was causing him so much discomfort.

After some searching and agonizing pain, Daryl found the perfect cane stick. It had no pesky twigs attached and the bark was nearly gone. It came up a little above his waist and was the perfect width for his dirt-caked hands to get a good grip.

_'Perfect.'_

Now came the hard part. Ascending. With a sneer at the ridge, Daryl planted his hardy boots near a small sapling. He dug his cane deep and pushed himself from the base of the creek. Spasms of pain rippled from his wound, but the redneck was not giving in that easily. He stomped forward again, planting his boot and cane deep into the soil before pushing his tired body higher up the ridge. As the incline became steeper, Daryl began to move slower and would occasionally slip and have to grab a hold of any nearby saplings. Sweat drenched the blonde, soaking his hair and clothes and leaving streaks on his dirty skin. His breath came out in pants, each inhale only another reminder of his wound. Daryl stopped to catch his breath and looked down on the creek. He was a good ways up and satisfaction flowed over him, briefly evaporating how weak he felt.

Suddenly, exhaustion quickly engulfed him, almost knocking him unconscious. Weakly, Daryl fought his own body and retained his grip on the sapling he was using for support. His cane was now too heavy for his shaking arms, so he threw it down to the creek. Looking up, the Dixon saw the top edge of the hill. He faintly felt the bulge of Sophia's doll under his belt and gritted his teeth.

"C'mon, you've done higher, stop bein' such a pussy," he told himself.

Daryl eyed the sapling above him, it was just in his reach. He lunged for it and grasped it, triumph in his eyes. Suddenly, his grip began to slip and his feet were sliding backwards. Desperately, Daryl reached for his previous branch, but gravity would have her way. The redneck began rolling backwards, crashing painfully into saplings and hidden rocks. White hot pain overwhelmed Daryl's senses, fading the spinning world into nothing but darkness. His body landed on the creek bed with a loud _THUNK!_ Dirt clung to the man's body like glue, blood streaked across his skin from fresh scratches. The blonde's body lay in the dirt, still and wounded, filtered sunlight dotting his face. He lay defenseless, easy picking for nearby walkers.

It would be some long minutes before Daryl opened his eyes. It would be even longer until he realized what a lucky son of bitch he was.

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><p><strong>Hope you all enjoyed the read! *fist pump* <strong>

** And just as a note, we are nearing the end of the story, my friends. ^-^ It will be a bittersweet moment, at least for me lol. **

**Jot down a review and devilishly handsome muffin shall await you. ;D**


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